A variety of faculty soccer’s greatest stars suffered devastating, season-ending accidents in 2023. All of them battled by way of lengthy recoveries this offseason. Some even acclimated to new coaches and switch locations whereas rehabilitating. Now, the slings and braces are off, with among the most-anticipated returns to the sphere forward of Week 1.
Notre Dame at Texas A&M headlines a stacked Week 1 slate. The sport options two AP prime 25 groups and pits Irish quarterback Riley Leonard in opposition to his mentor at Duke, new Aggies head coach Mike Elko. Leonard is coming back from two ankle surgical procedures that price him the vast majority of his first offseason in South Bend. On the opposite sideline, Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman makes his personal return from damage after lacking the final half of the 2023 season with a damaged foot.
The NCAA reported that 8.9% of school soccer gamers get severely injured annually. Concussions (7.5%), ligament tears (6.9%) and hamstring tears (4.7%) accounted for the biggest proportions of particular accidents. Preseason accidents are extra widespread than common and postseason accidents, and 41.2% of accidents resulted in time loss.
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Listed below are key faculty soccer gamers coming off devastating accidents:
Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold confirmed Tuesday that Daniels is again to full well being and can begin the Jayhawks’ season-opener in opposition to Lindenwood on Thursday. The electrical however oft-injured redshirt junior missed half of his breakout 2022 season with a shoulder damage and was restricted to only three video games in 2023 with a harm again. He is thrown for two,729 yards and 23 touchdowns with 5 interceptions in 12 video games the final two seasons.
“He’ll begin the opener,” Leipold stated. “I’ve seen a whole lot of good issues from Jalon Daniels within the final 10 days, and he hasn’t missed something. He is performed nicely. He is assured. He is excited. His enthusiasm is contagious. Everyone knows that it is vital for him to remain wholesome, however it’s good to see.”
Trey Lathan, LB, West Virginia
Lathan began the primary 5 video games at mike linebacker earlier than a damaged tibia and fibula ended his season. He completed his redshirt freshman season with 27 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and two move breakups. He’s one in all 11 Massive 12 gamers on the Comeback Participant of the Yr watch checklist and is predicted to play in opposition to North Carolina in Week 1.
Fellow linebacker Josiah Trotter can also be anticipated to return to the sphere on Aug. 31 after lacking all of 2023 resulting from a lower-leg damage he suffered throughout spring apply. Trotter is the son of Jeremiah Trotter Sr, a former four-time Professional Bowl linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles. His brother Jeremiah Trotter Jr. starred at Clemson.
Smith Vilbert, EDGE, Penn State
Vilbert arrived at Penn State approach again in 2019. The previous three-star recruit redshirted his freshman season and performed sparingly throughout his second season earlier than showing in 12 video games in 2021 (one begin) and recording 12 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and three.0 sacks. Following his breakout yr, Vilbert has solely appeared in a single sport over the previous two seasons resulting from undisclosed accidents. He is made the lengthy journey again to full well being this offseason and is predicted to enter his sixth season of school ball within the two-deep at defensive finish.
Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee
McCoy was off to the very best begin of his collegiate profession final season when he fractured his ankle in opposition to South Carolina on Sept. 30 and needed to endure 4 surges and spend 10 days within the hospital to repair it. It has been an extended highway to restoration for the previous five-star recruit this offseason, however his comeback is sort of full. Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava spoke about his pleasure about taking part in with one in all his highschool idols after Thursday’s apply.
“Once I was youthful, I assumed Bru was the best highschool participant of all time,” Iamaleava stated. “It is undoubtedly thrilling to see him get again into his personal. I really feel like that No. 5 on him takes him again to his outdated highschool days. Hopefully, we get to indicate y’all me and Bru’s connection.”
Andrel Anthony, WR, Oklahoma
Anthony led Oklahoma with 429 yards and a landing on 27 receptions by way of six video games final season earlier than struggling a torn ACL within the Pink River Rivalry in opposition to Texas. Head coach Brent Venables stated this week that Anthony is again at full velocity and a candidate to play in opposition to Temple in Week 1: “He is doing good. He will not be required to put on (the brace). We’re clearly attempting to watch out with him. He would not have any limits.'”
Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Leonard’s 2023 season at Duke bought off to a sizzling begin. The Blue Devils began 4-0 earlier than struggling a loss to Notre Dame on the ultimate drive, throughout which he injured his proper ankle. The damage saved him out for a month, and he wasn’t the identical participant when he returned. He underwent tightrope ankle surgical procedure when he first transferred to Notre Dame in January and managed to get again on the sphere by the beginning of spring apply. Nonetheless, a second ankle surgical procedure saved him out most of spring ball. He is taken a majority of first-team reps for the reason that begin of fall camp and will likely be full-go when Notre Dame takes the sphere in opposition to Texas A&M and his former Duke head coach Mike Elko in Week 1.
“I am excited to go dwell and get hit,” Leonard stated at fall camp. “Having the ability to be myself once more is the very best feeling on this planet. My proper ankle is stronger than it is ever been. It is extra cellular than my left as a result of I’ve labored it a lot.”
Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M
Weigman began the primary 4 video games for Texas A&M final season and accomplished 68.9% of his passes for 979 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions earlier than a damaged left foot ended his season. His 5 landing passes within the season-opener marked probably the most in regulation by a Texas A&M quarterback since Johnny Manziel in 2013. Head coach Mike Elko stated forward of fall camp that Weigman is again to full power after the previous five-star was a restricted participant in spring ball.
“I am 100% able to go,” Weigman stated this week. “It has been a very long time coming, and I can not wait to be on the market Aug. 31.”
Lathan Ransom, SAF, Ohio State
Ransom missed the final 5 video games of the 2023 season after a Lisfranc tear in his left foot and completed the yr with 34 tackles and one interception in 9 video games. He is again to full well being and can begin the 2024 season as one-half of arguably the very best security duo within the nation with switch Caleb Downs.
“Lathan is an elite participant,” Downs stated just lately. “He is a participant that units the tone each day. He’s a participant who involves apply each day and performs arduous in all the pieces. He battles by way of all the pieces that comes his approach. I do not know why they’re me and never him as a result of he is an elite participant.”
