A Georgia running back is in an Atlanta hospital following an ATV accident that left him with “serious injuries.”
Dante Dowdell was injured in the ATV accident near his home in Picayune, Miss., and is now being treated at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart told ESPN on Tuesday at SEC Media Days.
Smart did not have specific details about the accident when he spoke with the outlet.
“He’s injured,” Smart said. “We don’t know when his return will be. I don’t know the specifics of it, to be honest with you. It was a recreational vehicle, and he had some serious injuries.”
He told other reporters in Tampa that the accident was “serious enough that he’s gone from two hospitals,” Dawg Nation reported.
The place where Dowdell is currently being cared for specializes in treatment and rehabilitation, including for spinal cord and brain injuries.
Dowdell transferred to Georgia from Kentucky during the offseason and was believed right behind starter Nate Frazier this year on the running back depth chart.
The back has bounced around during his collegiate career, playing for Oregon in 2023, Nebraska in 2024 and Kentucky last year.
He is coming off a 2025 season for the Wildcats where he rushed for 560 yards and three touchdowns.
Smart praised the player and person that Dowdell is on Tuesday.
“He’s just a tremendous kid [with a] great family,” Smart said. “We’re very supportive of them. Our players have been up there to see him. It’s a really tough deal.”
Dowdell will have a fifth year of eligibility under the new NCAA rules.
While the seriousness of his injuries isn’t lost on anyone, Georgia does have the depth at the position to cope with the loss of the running back for next season.
In addition to Frazier returning, they’ll have Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips Jr. back, and they brought in Jae Lamar and Nick Peal during the 2026 recruiting cycle.
