Thankfully, draft eligible prospect injuries went down this week compared to the last two weeks, with only two season ending injuries announced and a handful of prospects that are likely to return to action next week.
Kenny Tate of Maryland may be finally returning, Marquis Gray’s injury not as bad as anticipated, and Notre Dame/Miami (FL) lose defenders for the rest of the year.
Kenny Tate, S/OLB, Maryland
Tate didn’t suffer an injury this week, as he has been rehabbing a knee injury he sustained during the pre-season, but now it seems Tate is likely to be back in action for the team’s next game. The former safety is still set to play linebacker this year, but his change of direction and cuts in space are what teams will be watching for the possible NFL Draft safety prospect.
Vaughn Telemaque, S, and Ramon Buchanan, OLB, Miami (FL)
Both prospects suffered injuries in the Week 2 Kansas State loss, but played through that game with those injuries. Telemaque suffered a left knee injury that caused him to miss this past weekend’s game and still is unclear what his future will be this season. As for Buchanan, he’ll miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury.
Marquis Gray, QB, Minnesota
After being knocked to the ground and taken off the field, the Gophers likely feared the worst for their star quarterback. But Gray’s injury turned out to not involve any broken bones/structural damage, and looks like a high ankle sprain that should keep him out 2-4 weeks. While it’ll be a struggle for Minnesota to win the next 2-4 games without Gray, it’s reassuring to hear that his career/NFL draft stock isn’t in serious jeopardy.
Dominque Easley, DT, Florida (JR)
In the Florida Gators win over Tennessee, the play of the defensive line was key. Dominique Easely, one of if not the most talented of the bunch, “tweaked” his knee and was helped off the field in the 4th quarter. According to the team’s head coach, Easley is “fine”, but we’ll see if he can come back 100% in the coming weeks.
Jamoris Slaughter, S, Notre Dame
One of the senior leaders for the Fighting Irish’s fast, very active defense, Slaughter won’t get the chance to be a part of that team for the rest of the season. After suffering an Achilles injury in the win over Michigan State, Slaughter will be forced to miss the rest of the season. Hopefully he can recover in time to make up the slack for the NFL draft season.
Fou Fonoti, OT, Michigan State
Unable to play in the team’s loss to Notre Dame, Fonoti suffered a foot injury in practice on Thursday. After surgery on Friday, Fonoti received the news that he’ll be rehabbing the injury for 6-10 weeks, likely causing him to miss the rest of the season.
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