The hits keep on coming for the Nebraska defense.
Sophomore Michael Rose, the returning seven-game starter at middle linebacker, announced over social media on Friday night that he had suffered a serious knee injury and would miss the 2014 season.
Rose posted a photo to his Instagram account, writing in a response that he had torn an ACL, possibly an MCL and cartilage.
“I’m hurting… I’m not gonna lie. I’m hurting bad,” Rose wrote in the photo caption. “So much work out in this offseason to get my weight down and body fat to prove to people I can be an every down linebacker.
“It’s hard right now for me. I can barely express how I feel right cause I’m numb to it.”
He also made several comments about the injury on Twitter.
The 5-foot-11, 240-pound Rose set the Nebraska freshman record last season with 66 tackles, including 17 against Iowa. He was battling classmate Josh Banderas for the starting role in preseason practice this month.
The loss of Rose comes after a season-ending knee injury suffered by junior Charles Jackson, who was scheduled to start at nickel back, and a season-long suspension, announced on Friday, for safety LeRoy Alexander, also a projected starter.
Rose is a former Under Armour All-American out of Kansas City, Missouri. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2013.