Concerning Northwestern Injury News Ahead of Penn State Matchup
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Northwestern could be without several key players when it opens the new Ryan Field against Penn State on Friday night.
The Wildcats released their first availability report of the week Tuesday, and several notable players appeared on it, including tight end Luke Dehnicke, wide receiver Hayden Eligon II and defensive backs Braden Turner, Damon Walters and Josh Fussell.
Dehnicke, Eligon, Turner and Walters are all listed as questionable, while Fussell is doubtful for Friday’s matchup. The biggest offensive name to watch may be Dehnicke.
Dehnicke is coming off a breakout performance against No. 5 Indiana in which he recorded seven receptions for 140 yards. His 140 receiving yards were the most by a Northwestern tight end against a power-conference opponent since at least 1995.
He has quickly developed a connection with quarterback Aidan Chiles and has become an important part of Chip Kelly’s passing attack. Having him available against Penn State would give Chiles one of his most reliable targets as Northwestern looks to build off its 23-point performance against Indiana.
Eligon is another name to monitor.
The wide receiver has been dealing with a lower-body injury since Northwestern’s season opener against South Dakota State and has missed the Wildcats’ last two games. He is now listed as questionable, potentially giving Northwestern a chance to get another offensive weapon back for Friday night.
The concerns are not limited to the offense.
Turner is questionable after missing the Indiana game, while Fussell is doubtful after suffering an injury against the Hoosiers. Losing both would be a major concern for Northwestern’s secondary against Penn State.
Fussell went down during Friday’s game at Indiana, adding another injury to a Northwestern team already dealing with several absences.
The latest injury news becomes even more significant after Northwestern learned that starting offensive lineman Ezomo Oratokhai will miss the remainder of the season with the injury he suffered against Colorado.
With Oratokhai already out for the year, Northwestern will be hoping the availability report becomes more positive as Friday approaches. There is still time for that to happen.
Under the Big Ten’s availability reporting policy, teams release reports three days, two days and one day before conference games before submitting a final report two hours before kickoff. That means the status of Northwestern’s questionable players could change throughout the week.
For now, though, the Wildcats have several important names to monitor.
The timing makes the injuries even more significant. Northwestern is preparing for one of the biggest home games in program history as the Wildcats host Penn State in the inaugural game at the new Ryan Field.
Northwestern is coming off a 29-23 loss at No. 5 Indiana in which the Wildcats showed they could compete with one of the nation’s top teams. Dehnicke was a major part of that performance, while the defense helped keep Northwestern within striking distance throughout the night.
Now, the Wildcats will hope to have as many of those pieces available as possible for another difficult Big Ten matchup. Northwestern hosts Penn State at 7 p.m. CT Friday on FOX, officially beginning a new era at Ryan Field.
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