Jake Ryan tears ACL, out indefinitely

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Per @umichfootball on twitter.

MGoBlue release: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032013aab.html

What does this mean? Who will replace him? Will we see a Ross-Bolden-Morgan LB lineup? 

Fuck.

 

 

March 20, 2013

 

ANN ARBOR, Mich.University of Michigan football senior/junior linebacker Jake RyanWestlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius) is out indefinitely with a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Tuesday's practice, the team announced today (Wednesday, March 20).

"You always hate when anyone gets injured and unfortunately we've dealt with our share of injuries in the last 12 months," said Michigan coach Brady Hoke."We will support Jake to make sure he has everything he needs to get through this.I know he will attack his rehabilitation just like he does everything else and will be back when he's ready."

Ryan led the Wolverines in 2012 with 88 tackles, 56 solo, 16 stops for loss, 4.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

He earned All-Big Ten second team honors by the media and was the Roger Zatkoff Award recipient as U-M's top linebacker.Dating back to 2011, Ryan had tallied a tackle-for-loss in 17 of his last 19 games.

Magnus

March 20th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^

I wouldn't be entirely opposed to moving Bolden to SAM as a backup to Gordon...  We have several capable inside linebackers.  I wasn't a big fan of Beyer at SAM, but at least he has experience there and we would still have two weakside ends with playing experience in Clark/Ojemudia.

Dubs

March 20th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^

I tore my ACL in high school (ACL only). I was cleared for full contact and explosive exercises 3-4 months later. So maybe there's an outside chance he could be ready to play by season's end?

Sorry if I'm trying to be too glass half full, here.

Jimmyisgod

March 20th, 2013 at 1:21 PM ^

You need disrupters on defense and Jake was easily our most disruptive player.  Even when he didn't make the tackle, Jake was blowing up plays all year long.

You aren't going to replace a guy like Jake, period.  What you have to hope is that several other guys step their game up, if they don't the defense is not going to be the same.  I thought our defense was going to have to have several guys step up to be close to as good as last year before Ryan was lost, now it's just really important that young guys develop quickly.

We've basically lost our 5 best players(Ryan, Roh, Demens, Kovacs, Campbell) off that defense from last year and a 6th (Countess) is coming back from ACL surgery himself.  I have faith in MAttison though that we will still be able to field a top tier defense.

Logan88

March 20th, 2013 at 7:49 PM ^

Personally, I have no fear that UM will be able to adequately replace the output of Roh, Demens and Campbell. None of those guys did anything really "special" at their positions. They weren't liabilities (for Campbell that was an improvement on his previous three seasons) but they weren't big "impact" players either.

Kovacs is an odd case of a guy whose loss will hurt in some ways and won't in others. Probably a slight downgrade in total as far as replacing Kovacs but not a devastating one.

LSAClassOf2000

March 20th, 2013 at 1:33 PM ^

....on the way back from lunch, then saw this thread. Terrible news, and I wish Jake Ryan a speedy and full recovery. His presence and production will be missed out there, but all the same, Hoke's comment did remind us, I believe, that JMFR can still be just that in a way, even while recovering:

"I know he will attack his rehabilitation just like he does everything else and will be back when he's ready."

Still, in the interim.....damnit. 

TheGhostofYost

March 20th, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^

ACL takes our best defensive player in back to back years.  How many other teams can say that?

Magnus

March 20th, 2013 at 2:49 PM ^

I still don't think the part-time starting cornerback who had zero interceptions in 2011 was projected to be our best defensive player in 2012 by many people.

Reader71

March 20th, 2013 at 3:24 PM ^

I agree that such expectations were silly, but I think they were still out there, in large numbers.

People always like to project greatness onto underclassmen who perform well, and I remember a lot of people saying Countess was to be our best defender. The reason I remember this is because I, like you, thought it was a stretch.

In regards to Jake Ryan, he was clearly going to be our best player, and one of the best in the B1G. His ability to chase down plays while being blocked is the best I have ever seen from one of our guys. He ignores would be blockers in the way that very few collegiate players do. This is a big loss.

But the expectation is for the position. Just as Raymon Taylor stepped up last season, I expect Cam Gordon to as well.

the Glove

March 20th, 2013 at 1:51 PM ^

I think he'll get a medical redshirt. The only positive spin that I can put on it is next year's linebacking corps will have a hell of a lot of experience on it...

MGoStrength

March 20th, 2013 at 2:18 PM ^

Anyone care to speculate on who becomes our backup at WILL assuming Morgan moves permanently to MIKE?  Bolden seems like the backup at SAM and/or MIKE and Ross is the starting WILL, right?  Will Poole, Jones, even McCray back up Ross?  Basically how does this shake up the rest of the linebackers?

MGoStrength

March 20th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^

Cool, thanks Magnus!  I especially like that you made me go your site to see the content;)  Well, it's nice that we have that many options.  It seems like Ojemudia may have the best skill  set and body to make the switch but I don't see the coahces going that route.  I'm thinking Gordon goes there and Bolden backus up both at SAM and MIKE, Morgan takes waay more snaps at MIKE than WILL, and Ross becomes the full time starter at WILL...then we hope against hope that all four are healthy all year long or that's when the real trouble begins.  Which option would be your preference or were they in order?

In reply to by MGoStrength

Magnus

March 20th, 2013 at 2:45 PM ^

They were pretty much in order.

And I figured there were way too many words/options to spend so much time copying/pasting.  Might as well do it the easy way...

TCGoBlue

March 20th, 2013 at 2:21 PM ^

The only thing keeping me from tears is knowing Cam is a senior with experience, and he did at one time show some promise. Got beat out because JMFR, obviously.



Please, Mattison, make it ok.

PB-J Time

March 20th, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^

That he'd likely not be eligble for due to being redshirted electively as a freshman. 

I didn't know this previously either. This was covered elsewhere in the comments and also the front page. Truthfully previous to this injury I thought he might only be on the team for 1 more year then to NFL...but this is not the way I'd like his 1 more year.