:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49377115/usa-today-8825672.0.jpg)
In what is probably the least surprising news you will read all day D.J. Knox has officially torn an ACL. He will be forced to sit out the 2016 football season while he goes through surgery and rehab. We first saw the news from Nathan Baird on twitter.
#Purdue's Hazell confirms Knox ACL tear https://t.co/dgpa7rLxb7 via @JConline Spring Game injury
— Nathan Baird (@nbairdjc) April 22, 2016
Apparently Hazell actually first mentioned this while doing a radio interview on Thursday. It is obviously awful news for Knox and for the Purdue football team as Knox was going to be a nice 2nd running back to give Markell Jones the breather he will need as he tries to carry this team. With Knox now out for the 2016 season that will leave the backup running back position to generally untested players. Purdue could use any number of players as their backup including Keyante Green, David Yancey, Tario Fuller, and Richie Worship. If you listened to our latest podcast you'll recognize Worship as a guy that Drew is particularly excited about. Perhaps this will give him his opportunity to get on the field and show what he can do.
On the plus side for Purdue if there was one position to which they could absorb a major injury like this it was running back. That's your glass half full analysis. You never want to see a guy go down like this with those non-contact injuries but if it happens you're glad it happens during the spring. This will give Knox the entire summer, and school year to get healthy. He should be ready and able to go in 2017 for Purdue. Best of luck to the young man for the long road ahead of him.