Expected to play a significant role in Utah’s offense in 2015, Troy McCormick will instead spend most of this year rehabbing a significant injury.
According to Kyle Whittingham, McCormick sustained what the Utes head coach described as a “pretty severe” knee injury during a Friday practice session. The exact nature of the injury wasn’t revealed, although it’s significant enough that the running back is expected to miss all of the 2015 season.
“That’s the most unfortunate part of the game,” Whittingham said according to the Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s just a great kid, and it tears your heart out to see that happen.”
As a redshirt freshman last season, McCormick ran for 178 yards on 30 carries. Included in those totals were a five-carry, 86-yard performance in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Colorado State.
Partly because of that output, McCormick was being looked upon as this season’s primary change-up to Devontae Booker, whose 1,512 yards rushing in 2014 were second in the Pac-12 behind the 1,575 yards for UCLA’s Paul Perkins and 20th nationally.