Mark Richt says Malcolm Mitchell could resume practicing next week

Could Georgia WR Malcolm Mitchell be practicing soon? It's possible, according to coach Mark Richt.

Mitchell has been plagued by knee issues throughout his Georgia tenure. He tore his right ACL celebrating a touchdown against Clemson in the first game of the season last year. He then missed spring practice this season with what the school said was a left leg injury. And before fall camp started, Mitchell had a "cartilage" issue" in his right knee.

Practicing would be great news. Playing in a game would be even better.

"He's getting better. I can tell you that. I'm getting more and more encouraged," Richt said via UGASports.com. "I think we're hopeful for Justin, Rumph and Malcolm next week. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think they will all practice and if they practice well enough they'll play."

Justin is Justin Scott-Wesley. He's missed time with an ankle injury this season and was cited for marijuana possession last year after he was out for the season with a knee injury. Rumph is Jonathon Rumph, another receiver who has been dealing with a hamstring issue.

No, this isn't like the injury mess that Georgia had last season. The Bulldogs' impressive depth at running back has helped take pressure off the receiving corps. But getting the three of them back would only be good news for QB Hutson Mason. Mitchell had 40 catches for 572 yards in 2012. In five games last year, Scott-Wesley had 16 catches for 311 yards.

Because of his injuries, Mitchell hasn't been in an official practice in over a year. While Richt wondered about Mitchell's conditioning to be able to play a full game without having to manage his workload, there's another factor that's a little more pressing. Mitchell can apparently run straight. But cutting, an ability imperative to a wide receiver, may be another issue.

"I betcha he could run a takeoff right now," Richt said. "If you knew he could just run by everybody, catch it on the dead run and not touch anybody, I would put him in. But I'm not sure we can do that."

For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg

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