Weekend full of injuries in college football leaves plenty of playoff contenders scrambling

As the college football season reaches its midway point, plenty of playoff contenders suddenly find themselves dealing with season-ending injuries to notable players.

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Tennessee linebacker Keenan Pili and Texas defensive back Derrick Williams are out for the rest of the season, their coaches announced Monday. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons also has an injury that puts his availability for the rest of the season in doubt.

All went down as part of a brutal weekend that included Florida quarterback Graham Mertz tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and Utah quarterback Cam Rising suffering a lower leg injury that has him out indefinitely.

Mertz and Pili both got injured in No. 11 Tennessee’s 23-17 overtime victory over Florida. Pili’s ACL injury leaves the Volunteers without one of their team captains as they prepare to host No. 7 Alabama on Saturday.

Pili’s college career is over. He is 26 and transferred to Tennessee from BYU. He suffered a season-ending triceps injury to start the 2023 season and has used not one but two medical redshirts. Injuries limited him to just seven games in two seasons with the Vols.

“There’s nobody that represents Tennessee better than him," coach Josh Heupel said Monday. “He’s a great leader and will continue to be that inside of our building. Just heartbroken for him and his family. A guy that does absolutely everything right. Special player, but special person. He’s got a great future.”

Heupel said either Arion Carter or Jeremiah Telander will take over for Pili in wearing the in-helmet communication device on defense.

Morrison, who has a hip injury, arguably was the top player to go down for the season over the weekend. The second-team preseason Associated Press All-America selection had nine career interceptions and was regarded as a possible first-round draft pick.

“Obviously it’s a blow to our team,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “You lose a captain, a great football player. You feel terrible for the kid because he gives football, he gives preparation everything he has. It’s just tough. But he’s a tough kid. He’s a tough individual. He’s been through this before, he’ll have surgery and get back to work to become the best version of Benjamin.”

Morrison is the latest notable Notre Dame defensive player to be lost for the season. No. 12 Notre Dame is ranked eighth in points allowed per game (11.7), 11th in yards allowed per game (270) and fourth in yards allowed per play (4.25), but the Fighting Irish already lost defensive linemen Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore to season-ending injuries.

The Irish now lose Morrison just three weeks after cornerback Jaden Mickey announced four games into the season that he was redshirting to preserve a year of eligibility as he prepares to transfer.

Morrison’s injury likely moves freshman cornerback Leonard Moore into a starting role alongside Christian Gray as Notre Dame prepares to face Georgia Tech in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced Monday that Williams also would miss the rest of the season. Texas officials haven’t specified the nature of Williams’ injury.

Williams had picked off a pass in a victory at No. 24 Michigan last month, and he forced and recovered a fumble in the top-ranked Longhorns’ 34-3 rout of Oklahoma on Saturday. His injury comes as Texas gets ready to host No. 5 Georgia.

Fans of No. 4 Ohio State are still awaiting word on the severity of the injury to Simmons, who was carted off the field during the Buckeyes’ 32-31 loss at No. 2 Oregon. Coach Ryan Day sounded pessimistic in his postgame news conference Saturday.

“I’ll have to get the update on Simmons, but it doesn’t look great in terms of him being able to come back this season,” Day said. “That’s a big hit for us.”

The notable injuries weren’t restricted to top teams.

Mertz tore an ACL in his left knee after throwing a touchdown pass in Florida’s loss to Tennessee. Mertz, a Wisconsin transfer, has suffered a season-ending injury each of his two years at Florida. He broke his collarbone in a game against Missouri last November.

His latest injury makes freshman DJ Lagway the Gators’ starting quarterback.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham announced Monday that Rising is out indefinitely after suffering a lower leg injury in a 27-19 loss to Arizona State on Friday that knocked the Utes out of the AP Top 25.

Rising, who is in his seventh season, already missed three games this season because of an injury to his throwing hand. He sat out the entire 2023 season with a knee injury.

Freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, will take Rising’s place. Utah went 2-1 in the three games Wilson started when Rising was out with the hand injury.

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AP Sports Writers Mark Long and Teresa M. Walker and AP freelance writer John Coon contributed to this report.

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