ATHENS — Georgia places a premium on mental toughness. It’s something Georgia looks for in recruiting. It wants players who know they’re going to face adversity and push through rather than let it set them back.

The Bulldogs are going to learn quickly just how mentally tough freshman Talyn Taylor is. That was already true coming off the Alabama game, where he had a significant third-quarter drop.

Now, he’ll have to wait even longer to return to the field after sustaining an upper-body injury in practice on Thursday that will require surgery.

But if everything we’ve heard about Taylor in the wake of the Alabama game is true, Taylor should be able to handle this minor setback.

“We picked him up as soon as it happened,” wide receiver Colbie Young said. “I told them there’s a lot of football left in this year. It’s going to happen. I made drops plenty of times. He just has to keep his head up. He’s young, and he’s going to develop better. He’s a great player, and I’m excited to see him work.”

It’s a credit to Taylor that he had already been able to carve out a role on this Georgia team. Yes, he factored into the rotation at wide receiver but he also earned work on Georgia’s punt team as a gunner.

That Kirby Smart would trust him in such a meaningful role speaks volumes about how highly Georgia already thinks of Taylor.

“He’s a tough, competitive kid, he practices his butt off,” Smart said of Taylor on Monday. “People don’t give him enough credit for, he’s changed our punt team in terms of, he’s replaced an Arian and a Dom as a gunner and been really elite. Every time we’ve called his number, he’s answered it.”

Taylor was one of five freshmen receivers Georgia signed in the 2025 recruiting cycle. He was the highest-rated of the bunch, becoming the first 5-star wide receiver prospect to sign with Georgia since George Pickens did so back in 2019.

Of the five, Taylor was the only one to play in each of Georgia’s first four games.

Taylor’s injury comes at an interesting point in the season. He’s right at the four-game mark and would’ve played in his fifth game this Saturday against Kentucky, meaning he could not redshirt this season.

Depending on the severity of the injury, we may have seen the last of Taylor during the regular season. But Georgia expects Taylor to make a full recovery.

If he does that, it’s a safe bet he’ll be back out on the field for Georgia this season.

“I mean, we’ve all had a situation, plays like that,” wide receiver London Humphreys said of Taylor. “You’ve just got to flush it and move on. It happens to the best of us, and he’ll have more opportunities for sure, so just be prepared for those.”

Taylor hadn’t yet become a significant factor in the Georgia passing game. He’s caught just 2 passes for 28 yards this season. Against Alabama, he played just two snaps. He was still behind the likes of Zachariah Branch, Humphreys and Dillon Bell. With Taylor out, look for Sacovie White-Helton to pick up some additional snaps.

But in a key play in the third quarter of the Alabama game, Georgia felt confident going to Taylor. He ran an excellent route and got behind the Alabama secondary.

Taylor couldn’t make the play, something that undoubtedly frustrates him. The injury could allow that frustration to further build, swallowing a promising young player whole.

But Georgia believes Taylor has a very bright future. Which is why it’s a good bet that the Alabama drop, and now the injury, won’t sink his season.

“The guy’s a worker. I told him that, look, we’re going to come back at you and continue to use you, and just keep getting better,” Smart said. “That’s all you can do, keep getting better.”