Auburn transfer tears ACL in practice, out for 2026 season

Georgia Bulldogs defensive rebuild for the 2026 season suffered a huge setback, as edge rusher Amaris Williams sustained a torn ACL during Tuesday’s practice and will miss the entire year, Graham Coffey of Dawgs Central reported Wednesday.

Williams, who transferred from the Auburn Tigers after the 2024 and 2025 seasons, went down late in Tuesday’s spring session while working on a pass-rush move in a non-contact situation. His knee reportedly buckled, and subsequent evaluation confirmed the ACL tear, with a recovery timeline of 9-12 months. The injury comes just days before Georgia’s annual G-Day spring scrimmage.

Williams was one of the Bulldogs’ most eye-catching transfer portal additions. A former five-star recruit in the 2024 class, he was ranked as the No. 5 EDGE nationally by 247Sports and the No. 64 overall prospect in the country by On3’s industry rankings. He also ranked as the No. 2 player in North Carolina and a top-10 EDGE prospect nationally coming out of high school.

On the field with the Tigers, Williams appeared in 11 games during the 2025 season, finishing with 16 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks. His high school production was even more stellar with 40 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks as a senior.

Georgia aggressively pursued Williams in the transfer portal, viewing him as a crucial addition to improve a pass rush unit that ranked last in the SEC in sacks last season. He was also expected to provide depth behind players like Quintavius Johnson while contributing to a deeper EDGE rotation.

With Williams unavailable, the Bulldogs will rely on returning contributors such as Gabe Harris, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, JJ Hanne, and a group of highly ranked sophomores to fill the gap. The loss delays Williams’ anticipated debut in Athens until at least the 2027 season.