Georgia Football: Early Enrollee Reggie Wilkerson Reportedly Suffers ACL Injury

Update: June 14, 4:12 p.m. ET

Wilkerson had a successful surgery to repair his meniscus in his right knee, according to the Georgia Bulldogs website. He is expected to make a full recovery but will have another surgery at a later date to reconstruct his ACL.

According to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Ron Courson, Wilkerson will be medically redshirted this season and will have four years of eligibility remaining.

---End of Update---

Georgia just cannot avoid the injury bug, and this time it is really going to sting.

According to wide receiver Michael Bennett, freshman cornerback Reggie Wilkerson tore his ACL, as mentioned in a report by Seth Emerson of the Ledger-Enquirer:

"

Y'all pray for @ReggieWilkerson as he goes into ACL surgery tomorrow. You gonna come back stronger than ever my man!

— Michael Bennett (@MBennett_82) June 14, 2013"

Wilkerson later took to his Twitter account to confirm that he will be sidelined this upcoming season with a nasty injury.

"

Minor setback for a major comeback. #RG3 type ish.

— Wilk_Time (@ReggieWilkerson) June 13, 2013"

Although only a freshman, Wilkerson was expected to play an immediate role for the Bulldogs defense. The defense that lost eight starters was hit hard particularly in the secondary, which only returns one.

The depth took an even bigger hit when safety Josh Harvey-Clemons was suspended for the season-opener against Clemson. 

Georgia did have the second best pass defense in the SEC statistically, but it wasn't nearly as consistent as the numbers indicate. There were constant players rotating in and out of the lineup and the 52 plays of 15 yards or more was concerning.

Wilkerson was a 4-star recruit, according to 247Sports, who has terrific speed and great hands. He is a solid athlete who could play multiple positions, but his quickness and change of direction skills made him intriguing defensively. He also made his mark felt in spring practice and received high praise from some of the veteran leaders.

Radi Nabulsi of ESPN also made mention of the young man's work ethic:

"

#UGA freshman CB Reggie Wilkerson came enrolled in January at 169 pounds. By the end of February he was pushing 181. Had a great spring too.

— Radi Nabulsi ESPN (@RadiNabulsi) June 14, 2013"

This is devastating news for a Georgia team that was able to dodge a bullet this offseason when wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell went down with a torn meniscus. He has since been cleared to participate in offseason drills and continue his role as the No. 1 receiving option.

Follow @Randy_Chambers