Indiana Football Loses Defensive Starter to 'Long-Term Injury'

Indiana football's defense suffered a significant loss in the No. 2 Hoosiers' 38-13 win over Michigan State on Saturday.

Senior defensive end Kellan Wyatt suffered a knee injury while rushing the passer on 3rd and 21 with nine-and-a-half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and may not return to the field this season, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti told reporters Monday.

Wyatt was engaged with the offensive tackle and his leg extended, leading to an awkward landing.

"Right now it looks like a long-term injury," Cignetti said. "I'm not sure if we'll see him the rest of the season or not."

Wyatt's injury a key loss, but opens role for Daley

The 6-foot-2, 257-pound Wyatt started the first seven games of the season, collecting eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Wyatt added seven quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and he served as a valuable run defender — PFF credits him with 13 run stops, the fifth-most on the team, and a run defense grade of 76.2, the eighth-best mark.

Wyatt has played 243 defensive snaps this season, the ninth-most on Indiana's roster and second-highest mark among all defensive linemen or edge defenders, trailing only Mikail Kamara at 260.

In his first season at Indiana after transferring from Maryland in the spring, Wyatt emerged as a strong complement to Kamara and an integral piece to the Hoosiers' disruptive defensive front.

But with Wyatt's long-term status uncertain, Indiana will turn to its other spring transfer portal addition in senior Stephen Daley, who spent the past three years at Kent State,

Daley has carved out a prominent role on the Hoosiers' defense, playing 210 total snaps while registering 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has the team's best run defense grade at 85.5 overall, according to Pro Football Focus, and he's tallied nine quarterback hurries, the second-best mark on the team.

The 6-foot-1, 273-pound Daley had two sacks against Michigan State en route to winning Indiana's Defensive Player of the Week award.

"He's a guy I really wish we had a couple years because he's a tremendous athlete and once he's learned the defense, he's really making fast progress," Cignetti said. "He has size, strength, speed, suddenness. He plays hard. He'll take on even more of a role now."

Wyatt is the third player Indiana has lost to a significant injury, as senior safety Bryson Bonds and redshirt junior running back Lee Beebe Jr. each suffered season-ending knee injuries during non-conference play.