ATHENS — Kirby Smart wasn’t giving any secrets away during his campus appearance on Friday, but he was dropping hints.

Smart said on the set of ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show that All-American tight end Brock Bowers “may be” ahead of schedule to return, adding that “it’ll be real interesting.”

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (9-0, 6-0 SEC) play host to No. 9 Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Sanford Stadium (TV: ESPN).

Bowers has missed the past two games on account of the ankle injury he suffered at Vanderbilt on Oct. 14 and subsequent “TightRope” surgery.

“I still don’t know that Brock is completely healthy,” Smart said from a stage surrounded by hundreds of UGA students and fans crowded into Myers Quad section of campus.

“Brock is in a much better place to be able to go out and compete and be closer to going,” Smart said. “We’ll find out game time.”

DawgNation reported on Thursday that Bowers had made enough progress that it was more likely he would play, per sources close to the team.

Read more at DawgNation.com