Tim Kimbrough intends to leave Georgia
ATHENS — Tim Kimbrough was absent from Georgia’s football practice on Wednesday, and he apparently won’t be back Thursday, or ever again in a playing capacity.
Kimbrough, who was Georgia’s leading returning tackler, is transferring, according to statements made from his Twitter account. He posted Thursday morning he doesn’t want to sit out this season and will likely look to join with an FCS or Division II school.
Kirby Smart said after practice Wednesday that Kimbrough had “a little leave of absence right now,” followed by a string of tweets from Kimbrough that indicated he was leaving.
Sometime in Life you will have to make a hard decision even if you don’t want to make it.. You just had to do it
— Tim Kimbrough Jr.™ (@TK42_GTL) August 10, 2016
I didn’t want to do it.. Believe me
— Tim Kimbrough Jr.™ (@TK42_GTL) August 10, 2016
I Love the UGA Fans! I do everything for y’all
— Tim Kimbrough Jr.™ (@TK42_GTL) August 10, 2016
It was a family decision
— Tim Kimbrough Jr.™ (@TK42_GTL) August 10, 2016
Kimbrough, who is Georgia’s leading returning tackler, had been working with the second team inside linebackers, behind junior Reggie Carter and sophomore Natrez Patrick. Sophomore Roquan Smith has been getting first-team snaps on Tuesday, ahead of Kimbrough, with Patrick limited in practice.
A native of Indianapolis, Kimbrough started seven games last year, then missed the Taxslayer Bowl last season because of a suspension, which was also for undisclosed reasons. But this past spring Smart said Kimbrough was back on the team and in good standing.
Kimbrough has not graduated yet. He will have to sit out a season if he chooses to transfer within the FBS level.
The departure leaves Georgia pretty thin at inside linebacker. Carter is in his fourth year but only has one career start. Patrick had two last year, while Smith played sporadically last yer. Senior Ryne Rankin has mostly just played special teams, leaving sophomore Juwan Taylor and true freshman Jaleel Laguins.
This will be the third player to leave Georgia on his own volition since Smart’s hiring. Safety Jonathan Abram, who started four games as a freshman, left for a junior college after being upset when then-defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt wasn’t retained. Tailback A.J. Turman opted to leave for more playing time, and ended up at Florida Atlantic. (A fourth player, quarterback Faton Bauta, left the team just before Smart was officially hired, and ended up at Colorado State.)
