Ole Miss may have won a season-opening thriller Thursday night, but it came at a very steep price for the Rebels personnel-wise.
Neal McCready of RebelGrove.com reported Saturday morning that linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche will be out 4-6 weeks with what was described as a meniscus tear in his knee. The brother of the nation’s top 2013 recruit and Ole Miss signee, Robert Nkemdiche, will undergo surgery to repair the damage today.
The timeframe for a return means Nkemdiche would miss games against, among others, Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M and, possibly, LSU.
The loss of Nkemdiche is a significant blow to the Rebels’ defense as the linebacker was a freshman All-American in 2012 and a preseason first-team All-SEC pick by the coaches and the media. His loss, though, is far from the only one.
Starting guard Aaron Morris will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2013 season after tearing an ACL in the win over Vanderbilt. Morris started every game at guard last season as a sophomore after starting six games in 2011.