ATHENS - A few days after Georgia football's blowout win over the Rebels of Ole Miss, the Bulldogs are poised to return to the top of the College Football Playoff Rankings.

But it is possible the Dawgs still have not unleashed their most robust offensive performance of the season in SEC play yet. Two players considered to be major contributors, RB Chauncey Bowens and WR Isiah Canion have played sparingly this season so far. Now, however, as November starts both players are nearing more playing time after recovering from injury.

Canion played during Georgia football's 42-7 win over Ole Miss.

“He's a work in progress,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said of Canion’s progress. “I thought he really wanted to play two weeks ago against Florida, and I don't think he was 100%. He was trying to go available. Then he had a really good week of practice last week, and we said: ‘This guy's getting closer to 100%.’”

That’s when it was clear Canion was ready to play - even if he couldn’t contribute a lot in the box score.

“He had some good days last week and got to play some more snaps. We weren't able to get him involved as we wanted to, but we know what's there,” Smart continued. “We're dinged up all across the board at wideout. We have guys all over the place - injured, out, coming back, and we really need him to be back full strength to help us. He gives us so much more than just a wideout because he's bigger and physical, and he's older than some of our other guys.”

That means the Bulldogs are expecting Canion to return to the form he had a season ago at Georgia Tech. As a Yellow Jacket, Canion ended 2025 with 480 yards on 33 catches. He scored four touchdowns for Tech. So far this season he has managed to record statistics in only the Dawgs’ first two games of the year.

Smart said Bowens is trying to get fully healthy before he plays again.

“He's not 100%. Just because someone is dressed out and cleared does not mean that they're able to go out there and play and perform,” Smart said of the running back on Monday. “He's working his tail off to get back. The fact that he was even available says a lot about his toughness and his want to be there for the team. He's working hard at that. He's trying to go. He's trying to do things. The training staff and the doctors and everybody we've met with are comfortable with where he is and what he's doing, but he is not 100% right now.”

With the College Football Playoff National Championship Game still 12 weeks away there is time to get Bowens back to form for meaningful moments in the Bulldogs’ season. Bowens has played in only three SEC games this season, but he’s scored six touchdowns in those games. A red zone weapon, Bowens has flashed consistently when toting the rock for the Dawgs.

Bowens still ranks four in terms of number of carries this season for Georgia running backs - even with him being out since the October 3rd win over Vanderbilt in Athens. He is the biggest receiving weapon coming out of the backfield for Georgia with ten catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in 2026.

The inclusion of Bowens and Canion could give the Bulldogs more margin for error as the CFP looms. Like most everyone else in the SEC, Georgia is beat up. It is a reoccurring theme not just for the Dawgs, but for the bulk of the league and the rest of college football. Bowens’ physicality (and Canion’s, too) gives Georgia another hammer to use on offense in the second half of games. It also gives two more bodies to spare other bodies that have been playing all season long.