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Ole Misc.: Sony Michel expected to be healthy when Georgia plays the Rebs

Your weekly roundup of Ole Miss sports news takes a look at Michel's injury timetable, Stefan Moody's new hoops contract in Europe and Uber's return to Oxford.

By Jeff Gray
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia's backfield, which was already fretting over the recovery of star rusher Nick Chubb, got more bad news over the weekend: No. 2 running back Sony Michel underwent surgery to repair a broken arm after reportedly tumbling off an ATV*, raising questions about his availability for an early-season slate that includes a Week 4 trip to Oxford.

*Pro tip: roll your skill players in bubble wrap and store them somewhere safe during the offseason.

That's significant news because 1) Chubb is still waiting for medical clearance to play on his surgically-repaired left knee and 2) the Bulldogs will probably end up starting five-star freshman quarterback Jacob Eason, who could use a running game to lean on while he learns the ropes.

The university declined to comment publicly on a recovery timetable, but Michel's brother told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that doctors are predicting he'll be able to play in a soft cast in six to eight weeks.

"There was a little damage to the muscle but nothing bad. As long as he stays on schedule, I think he'll be ready to play with a cast on. He should be ready to play on Sept. 3," the brother, Allen Pinder, said.

That makes things dicey for Georgia's opener against North Carolina, which is eight weeks away. Barring a setback in his recovery, however, Michel will probably be ready to go against Ole Miss in 11 weeks.

Stefan Moody is gettin' paid in Turkey.

Moody's height kept him from going in last month's NBA Draft, but it won't keep him from playing pro ball. It was announced on Sunday that he's signed with Trabzonspor of the Turkish Super League. The contract numbers haven't been released, but it's supposedly a pretty sizable deal.

So is the Turkish Super League any good? Indeed it is. It's considered one of the top five or so leagues in the world and currently has four of the 18 teams in the Euroleague, more than any other in Europe. Former Rebel Chris Warren played in Turkey a couple seasons ago, and last year's All-Star team included another former SEC guard: Arkansas' Courtney Fortson.

Trabzonspor seems pretty excited.

Colby Bortles went to Omaha for the college home run derby.

It wasn't a particularly successful trip for the big fella, whose 10 dingers weren't enough to get him out of the first round. He was one of three SEC sluggers in the eight-man competition: LSU's Greg Deichman was stranded in the first round with 12 homers, while State's Brent Rooker finished fourth after slamming 29 over two rounds.

Bortles hit just eight homers in 62 games this season, but did manage to finish second in the SEC in doubles. With J.B. Woodman's 14 dingers headed to the pros, you'd like to see Bortles up his power numbers as a senior. That'd go a long way in booking a return trip to Omaha for pitching coach Mike Clement, who tagged along as Bortles' pitcher.

Uber is back in Oxford!

It wasn't that long ago that Oxford cops were threatening to arrest Uber drivers. As part of its long-running battle against ride-sharing networks, the city passed an ordinance last year requiring commercial licenses and government-run background checks on all cab drivers as well as video cameras in each vehicle. But that's been overruled by state legislation that went into effect on July 1.

Anyone who's tried to get a ride from the Square on a game weekend knows how woefully Oxford's local taxi companies have failed to keep up with the rising crowds. I, for one, am excited as hell about this development.

A former Ole Miss pole vaulter is heading to Rio.

Sam Kendricks, who won a pair of NCAA titles during his two years in Oxford, did more than just qualify during a meet in Oregon -- he set an Olympic trails record with his jump of 19 feet, 4 ¾ inches. He's not technically a graduate, seeing as he quit school last year for the very reasonable purpose of chasing his Olympic dream, but you can be damn sure we're gonna claim him as a Rebel.