After a couple weeks of consideration, Texas A&M has decided to give highly-touted freshman wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones a medical redshirt this season, Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin reportedly said on a radio show on Tuesday.
Jones played in A&M’s season opener against Rice, catching three passes for 84 yards while scoring on a 71-yard pass from Matt Joeckel in the second quarter. But Sumlin said Seals-Jones hurt his knee on the touchdown when he let up reaching the goal line and was hit from behind.
“The lesson there is not to let up,” Sumlin said.
As a result, Seals-Jones sat the next week against Sam Houston State. He then saw little action in the loss to Alabama, sparking speculation that the injury was more serious than once thought. That speculation was correct.
The 6-5, 225-pounder was expected to be a key contributor to the Aggies’ receiving corps. Rivals.com had the Sealy, Tex., product as a four-star recruit, rated as the No. 2 wide receiver in the country and the No. 40 player at any position.
Instead, he’ll finish this season with the stats he had against Rice and then have four years to play four. His loss prevents the Aggies from adding yet another weapon in the receiving corps opposite Mike Evans, though junior Malcome Kennedy has emerged in recent weeks as a reliable outlet for quarterback Johnny Manziel.