Minnesota Football: Trey Potts out for the season with undisclosed ailment

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck announced Monday morning in his weekly press conference that starting running back Trey Potts is not expected to play the rest of the season after being hospitalized with an undisclosed ailment.

Fleck declined to disclose the specifics of Potts’ ailment, but did say that he is “doing very well.” In the fourth quarter of the team’s 20-13 win over Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 2, Potts exited the game and was observed and treated by the team’s medical staff before being transported to a hospital by ambulance. According to an official statement released by the university, Potts was released from the hospital on Friday and is now back in Minnesota with his family.

While we are all relieved to hear that Potts is doing well and hope that he makes a full recovery, this is yet another devastating blow for the Gophers on the field. Potts had rushed for 552 yards and six touchdowns in five games, taking over as starting running back after Mohamed Ibrahim was lost for the season due to a lower leg injury suffered in Week 1.

True freshman Mar’Keise Irving will likely replace Potts as starter but has only recorded 25 carries and 112 rushing yards this season after drawing his first career carry against Colorado in Week 3. Redshirt freshman Ky Thomas, redshirt sophomore Cam Wiley, and redshirt junior Bryce Williams are the only other healthy scholarship running backs on the roster.