Going into the 2024 college football season, there have been some major injuries across the country. Here are some of the most significant injuries and how they affect the futures market on DraftKings Sportsbook.
CJ Baxter- Texas, Running Back
CJ Baxter was set to be one of the best running backs in college football this season. Baxter ran for 659 yards as Jonathan Brooks’ backup last season at Texas. Baxter was due to be the primary back this season with Brooks in the NFL. Unfortunately, Baxter tore his LCL and PCL in practice earlier this month and got season-ending surgery.
This is a major blow for Texas and puts much more pressure on Quinn Ewers and the passing game. Freshman RB Christian Clark will also miss the entire season for Texas. That means Jaydon Blue will be the primary back, and he will be backed up by young running backs Wisner and Gisbon. Blue has some experience and huge potential, so time will tell if he can carry the load for the Horns.
The biggest concern for Texas is any further injury at this position. Running back is already an injury-prone position, and their depth is thin before the season starts. Steve Sarkisian has to be smart with Jaydon Blue, as he is the only back on the roster with real experience.
Nic Anderson, Jayden Gibson- Oklahoma, Wide Receivers
Nic Anderson is the Sooners’ top returning receiver, and Brent Venables announced that he will miss their opening game against Temple. The good news for Sooners fans is that this is not expected to be a long-term injury, and he could be back as early as Week Two.
Unfortunately, the news was not as good on Jayden Gibson. The junior wide receiver tore his ACL earlier this month and will miss the entire season. Gibson had 375 yards and 5 TDs last season and was considered a breakout candidate in this offense. Depth at the wide receiver position for Oklahoma is certainly worth monitoring as the season progresses, especially the health of Nic Anderson.
Nick Kidwell- Indiana, Offensive Guard
Kidwell was one of the many transfers who came with Curt Cignetti from JMU this offseason. He was projected to be a starting guard on this offensive line but will miss the entire season with a knee injury. There is now an open competition among multiple guys to take Kidwell’s spot on the line, and Coach Cignetti seems confident that whoever fills that role will do a good job. However, Kidwell is incredibly experienced and will be missed by the Hoosiers.
Darris Smith- Missouri, EDGE
Darris Smith transferred to Missouri from Georgia this offseason to get an opportunity for more snaps at EDGE. However, Smith injured his knee in practice earlier this month and will miss the entire 2024 season. This certainly hurts Missouri’s depth at this position, as head coach Eli Drinkwitz was expecting Smith to have a big role this upcoming season.
Chip Trayanum- Kentucky, Running Back
Trayanum transferred from Ohio State to Kentucky this offseason, hoping to be the lead back in Lexington. A couple of weeks ago, he broke his hand in practice and is expected to miss the first couple of weeks of the season. Kentucky announced that he will definitely miss the opener against Southern Miss and their first SEC game against South Carolina.
In Week 3, the Wildcats host #1 Georgia, so they hope to have Trayanum back by then. In the meantime, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye will lead the backfield. Sumo-Karngbaye actually played wide receiver for Kentucky last year but changed positions this offseason.
Head Coach Mark Stoops is confident that the committee they will use to fill Trayanum’s role will do just fine. That should be true against Southern Miss, but it could be a major factor in their first SEC game against South Carolina.
Courtland Ford- Kentucky, Offensive Tackle
Courtland Ford transferred to Kentucky before the 2023 season and started two games for the Wildcats last season. However, he suffered a bad injury in August that will keep him sidelined for an extended period of time. Ford had a good amount of experience at USC for three seasons and then was the backup at Kentucky last season.
However, Ford was set to be the starting right tackle this year before his injury. Tennessee transfer Jared Mincey is expected to start in Ford’s place for as long as he is out. Head Coach Mark Stoops is confident that Mincey will fill in there.
Rueben Owens- Texas A&M, Running Back
Just a couple of weeks before the season opener, Texas A&M’s starting running back Rueben Owens injured his foot in practice and will likely miss the entire season. Elko said there is a chance that Owens will return if they make a bowl game or the College Football Playoff, but he could be out until next spring.
Owens ran for 350+ yards in a running back committee last season but was expected to be the main man this year for the Aggies. Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss will now split a majority of the carries. Both of those backs were part of the RB committee last season, so they do have some experience, but Owens was the highest-rated prospect of the group.
Cole Rusk- Illinois, Tight End
The Illini’s starting tight end, Cole Rusk, will miss the entire season after a bad knee injury in practice. Rusk was an FCS All-American last season and was ready to make the jump to the Big Ten and be a big part of Illinois’ offense. The starting TE position will now be filled by Henry Boyer or Tanner Arkin, who are both primarily blocking tight ends. This could have a huge impact on what Illinois wants to do offensively.
Teddy Prochazka- Nebraska, Offensive Tackle
OT Teddy Prochazka has suffered a season-ending knee injury for the third time in four years. This is really disappointing for Prochazka, who has struggled with injuries his entire career but was in line to be the starting LT for an improving Cornhuskers team. He will most likely be replaced by redshirt freshman Gunnar Gottula, who is vastly less experienced than Prochazka.
Charles Jagusah- Notre Dame, Offensive Tackle
Notre Dame has also lost their starting left tackle for this season. Jagusah tore his pec in practice and will miss the entire season after receiving surgery. This was a huge opportunity for Jagusah to fill the shoes of Joe Alt, who was just a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after starting at LT for Notre Dame last season.
The position is expected to be filled by freshman Anthonie Knapp. Knapp is a true freshman, and he will have to face a scary Texas A&M defensive line in his first career start this weekend. Luckily, the Irish have many pieces they can move around if necessary.
Jamari Lyons- Florida, Defensive Lineman
Jamari Lyons was expected to play a big role on the defensive line for Florida this season before breaking his ankle in practice. Florida has a lot of depth in their front seven, but Lyons was ready to build on the solid season he had last year.
Jourdan Thomas- Tennessee, Defensive Back
Thomas was expected to start at the STAR position in this Tennessee defense before being hit with a season-ending knee injury. This will be a big blow for the Tennessee defense, as Thomas was set to have a really big year. However, the Volunteers are confident in both Christian Harrison and true freshman Boo Carter who are both competing to be the new starter in that role.
This is a huge update in the college football injury report landscape. It is nearly impossible to get accurate college football injury news because there is no real requirement for college football teams to issue injury reports like there is in the NFL. The SEC will now require it for conference games and usually when the SEC does something, the rest of the country follows.
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