After suffering a lower-leg injury during Thursday's Ohio State loss, Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim will be out for the remainder of the season.
Coach P.J. Fleck announced that Ibrahim, the Big Ten's runningback of the year, and a third-team AP All-America Selection in 2020, will have surgery Tuesday. After running for 163 yards and two touchdowns, he was injured in the third quarter of Minnesota's loss to Minnesota. Ibrahim was able to ambulate off the field, and he entered Minnesota's injury tent. He eventually walked to the locker room wearing a boot on the left foot.
Fleck stated that he was disappointed. Fleck said that he had worked extremely hard. It's football. It's impossible to control injuries once you step onto the field. He has a great sense of humor and a great presence. Although he isn't happy about what happened, he has been able deal with it.
Fleck did not specify the injury, but stated that it was "pretty clean" so Ibrahim should be able to recover in as little as four to six months. Ibrahim, a fifth year senior, has suffered several injuries in his career. However, he still ranks eighth on the team with 3,003 yards rushing and fourth with 33 rushing touchdowns. Ibrahim has 547 career carries.
He was the only Big Ten player who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2020 and also set Minnesota's single season record for rushing average (15.3 ypg). He was second in the nation for scrimmage yards per match (161.7), behind only Buffalo's Jaret Patton (178.7).
Fleck stated that Fleck will make the decision on whether he returns to the NFL or not. He doesn't have to do it right away. He should be concerned about his health and making a full recovery. Fleck described Ibrahim as "the best back" in the country and the "heartbeat of the team." He said that Ibrahim spent Sunday practicing with the running backs. Trey Potts, a sophomore, replaced Ibrahim against Ohio State. He logged 10 carries in the game. Cam Wiley, a sophomore, and other players will likely be included in the rotation for carries.
Fleck stated that there are a lot of numbers. "You haven't seen many of them because Mohamed has been so great."
