ATHENS — Kirby Smart wasn’t giving any secrets away the day before Georgia’s Top 10 game with Ole Miss 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 the No. 9 Rebels (8-1, 5-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Sanford Stadium (TV: ESPN).

RELATED: Why “Old School” Georgia atop SEC, even as transfer-heavy Rebels improve

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.

Practices are closed to the media, but UGASports.com, run by the Rivals network, reported Bowers was running with the first team in a black (non-contact) practice jersey this week.

Smart might have also tipped his hand that Amarius Mims, a projected first-round offensive lineman, could be making his return from an ankle injury (and subsequent TightRope surgery) suffered on Sept. 16.

“I’d like to have a full offensive line, and I’d like to have all of them,” Smart said. “We just have dealt with more injuries.”

Smart emphasized that his quarterback and his team are ready to handle the moment on Saturday night, with the college world looking on at Georgia’s attempt to make history with what would be a 27th-straight victory and school-record 25th home win in a row.

“I don’t think Carson (Beck) has much to prove anymore, Carson is a really good football player, his play has spoken for itself,” Smart said. “He’s calm, cool and composed. He’s been that way since he got here. I’m not saying it’s easy for him, but he understands what our offensive coordinator and staff is trying to do with him, and he handles that really well.”

The 2023 Bulldogs, who have come from behind in five of their six SEC wins, have also handled the pressure moments.

“This team has been resilient,” Smart said. “They have a lot of pressure on them, everyone talking about the three-peat, and all they’ve done is focus on one game at a time.

“That’s the only thing that’s put us in this situation we’re in. We’re trying to worry about Ole Miss.”