With the start of the new season a little over three weeks away, West Virginia’s defense has taken a significant punch to the gut.
WVU confirmed Friday that Dravon Askew-Henry sustained a torn ACL in his left knee during practice Wednesday. As a result, the junior safety will be sidelined for the whole of the 2016 season.
Once the swelling subsides, Askew-Henry will undergo surgery to repair the damage. Provided there are no setbacks, the defensive back would be ready for the start of spring practice next year.
“This is a tremendous loss for our football team,” a statement from head coach Dana Holgorsen began. “Without a doubt Dravon was one of our leaders on and off the field. We will support him through his recovery and work with him to get him 100 percent back to health.”
Askew-Henry has started 26 games the past two seasons, including all 13 in 2015 and 2014. He was a Freshman All-American in 2014, and was fourth on the team with 59 tackles last season.
Entering summer camp, he was the Mountaineers leading returning tackler.