Tennessee might not be without receiver Cedric Tillman for much longer.
On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that Tillman has undergone a procedure known as Knotless Syndemosis Tightrope Implant, which is more commonly referred to as “tightrope” surgery. Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one of the more prominent athletes to undergo the procedure, which was actually performed on both ankles during his college career.
Tagovailoa underwent the procedure twice during his career at Alabama, per Low’s report. The first occurred in 2019 after he suffered a right ankle injury against Tennessee. Tagovailoa returned three weeks later. Tagovailoa also underwent the procedure in 2018 after suffering a high ankle sprain in the SEC Championship game and returned for the National Championship Game less than a month later.
The procedure is less invasive since it doesn’t require screws in the joint. Tillman was injured against Akron and missed the Florida game last week. Tennessee has a bye week this week before playing LSU on Oct. 8. Given Tagovailoa’s two returns, it’s feasible that Tillman could return to play against the Tigers.
