Back in action: Expect these players to star after injuries wrecked their 2011 seasons
Yahoo Sports
Football is a violent game, which is just another way of saying players get hurt. But some injuries hurt more than others - and not necessarily in a literal sense.
A backup defensive tackle is lost for the season? Teams generally can overcome that. But it's a different situation entirely when a team potentially loses its starting quarterback (Missouri and James Franklin) or definitely loses a starting safety (Arizona and Adam Hall), especially when it happens during spring practice. (It's the second year in a row Hall, a ferocious hitter, suffered a torn ACL in Arizona's spring game.)
Injuries of that magnitude send coaching staffs scrambling to find fill-in players. Sometimes, those fill-in players do a great job; other times, coaches count the days until the injured starter returns.
Here's a look at 11 players who missed at least 75 percent of the 2011 season because of injuries but are expected back in the fall.
All of these guys should contend for all-league honors, and a few could be All-Americans. Assuming, of course, they remain healthy.
By no means is this an all-inclusive list. And the players are listed alphabetically.
Arkansas TB Knile Davis
The injury: Ankle, missed season The buzz: Davis burst on the scene in a big way in the second half of the 2010 season, rushing for 1,028 yards and 12 TDs in the final seven games. But he suffered a broken ankle during fall camp last year and missed the season. He remained a part of the team, though, serving as a captain and going on all the road trips. Davis was limited during spring practice but is expected to be 100 percent this fall. Davis (6 feet/226 pounds) is a physical runner with speed. Arkansas had a mediocre rushing offense last season (137.4 ypg, 81st nationally), but a healthy Davis will add an extra dimension to the Hogs' offense this season.
The injury: Knee, missed season The buzz: Dworaczyk was an honors candidate heading into the 2011 season. He had started in each of the previous two seasons and was the Tigers' most experienced lineman. He missed 2011 spring practice after having knee surgery, then reinjured the knee during fall camp and missed the season. He was granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA and should slide nicely into the starting guard job vacated by Will Blackwell, who was a senior last season. Dworaczyk graduated with a general studies degree in May 2011 and is planning to graduate with a degree in sports administration in December.
The injury: Leg, missed 11 games The buzz: Foketi started all 13 games at left tackle in 2010 after transferring in from junior college, then started the first two last season before being injured against Kent State. He is expected to start at one of the vacant tackle spots this season. Foketi is considered an excellent run blocker; he's a road-grader deluxe and likely would move inside to play guard in the NFL.
The injury: Knee, missed 9 games The buzz: Hunter had seven TD receptions as a true freshman in 2010 (on just 16 overall catches) and was off to a great start last season (17 catches) before suffering a torn ACL on Tennessee's first possession in Game 3. A return to full health by Hunter would give the Vols one of the best receiving duos in the nation, as he and Da'Rick Rogers would form a physical and fast duo. Hunter is 6-4 and was one of the nation's top jumpers (long, high and triple) while in high school.
The injury: Knee, missed 10 games The buzz: Jacobson started all 13 games at guard in 2010, then moved to center and was primed for a big season before he was injured in Game 3. He was granted a sixth season of eligibility and should fit nicely into Pitt's revamped line this fall. Pitt's new coach is Paul Chryst, who had been offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Chryst, above all, values a punishing ground attack, and that fits Jacobson. He did not participate in any contact drills during the spring but still is expected to start at guard this fall.
The injury: Knee, missed season The buzz: Jenkins was a starter in 2009 and '10, but suffered a knee injury in the 2011 spring game and missed the season. His return this season will give WVU perhaps the best interior line in the Big 12. Jenkins had a good spring, and a WVU line that was maligned the past few seasons should be a team strength this fall.
The injury: Massaro: Knee, missed season. Mauti: Knee, missed 9 games The buzz: Both are fifth-year seniors and both have had injury-marred (injury-ravaged?) careers. Massaro redshirted as a true freshman in 2008, then tore his right ACL in the 2009 spring game and missed the season. He returned and was a starter in 2010, flashing some big-play ability. Massaro then tore his left ACL during 2011 spring practice and had to sit out the season. At one time considered a future All-American, Mauti was a key reserve as a true freshman in 2008. But he tore his right ACL during fall camp in 2009 and had to miss the season. He returned in 2010 and became a starter, battling through some nagging injuries to make 67 tackles. He started the first four games last season before suffering a torn left ACL and missing the rest of the season. Neither was 100 percent in the spring, but both expect to be starters this fall for a defense that again is going to have to carry the team.
The injury: Back, missed 11 games The buzz: Ramsey led all BC defensive linemen with 39 tackles in 2010, then was expected to be a bright spot in the front seven last season. But he injured his back in the opener against Northwestern and didn't play again. He will be the emotional and physical leader of what should be a stout BC defensive front this fall. For all the offensive issues the Eagles had last season, the defense remained a bright spot and should be so again this season.
The injury: Knee, missed 10 games The buzz: Skov earned some preseason All-America recognition last season following his magnificent performance in the Orange Bowl following the 2010 season (12 tackles, with four tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass breakup in a rout of Virginia Tech). But the Mohawk-wearing Skov suffered a knee injury in Game 3 last fall and missed the rest of the season. Coach David Shaw said Skov is on schedule with his rehab and should be ready for Game 1 this season. Skov and Chase Thomas should be one of the best linebacker duos in the nation.
The injury: Shot in abdomen, missed season The buzz: Wimberly was shot in June 2011, leading to serious damage to his colon and intestines; he spent a bit less than a week in intensive care, and at one time, it was thought his football career was over. But his rehab went exceedingly well and he had a great spring for the Wolf Pack, which is moving into the Mountain West this fall. Wimberly, the WAC's freshman of the year in 2009, is a big guy (6-3/210) who can run and possesses big-play ability
South Carolina CB Akeem Auguste (foot), Missouri OT Elvis Fisher (knee), Oregon State CB Brandon Hardin (shoulder), Colorado OT Jack Harris (broken leg), Arizona State LB Brandon Magee (Achilles), Oregon State OT Michael Philipp (knee), Idaho LB Robert Siavii (knee), Toledo FS Mark Singer (shoulder), Mississippi State G Tobias Smith (knee), Washington State QB Jeff Tuel (collarbone, shoulder) and Ohio State DE Nathan Williams (knee).
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