Chris Autman-Bell will miss the rest of the season after suffering a lower leg injury in Minnesota’s 49-7 win over Colorado on Saturday.
Head coach P.J. Fleck confirmed the news at his Monday morning press conference, adding that Autman-Bell will undergo surgery on Wednesday.
The loss of Autman-Bell is a big blow to Minnesota’s passing game. He was the No. 1 receiver on the roster and had 11 receptions for 214 yards and one touchdown before suffering the injury in the second quarter on Saturday.
Dylan Wright and Michael Brown-Stephens are now the top two receivers on the depth chart, followed by Daniel Jackson, Clay Geary and La’Meke Brockington. Combined, those five wide receivers have 19 catches this season.
Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford is second on the team with eight catches for 127 yards.
Autman-Bell’s future is now up in the air. This season marked his sixth since redshirting as a freshman in 2017. The Gophers say they will seek a seventh year of eligibility from the NCAA, though it’s “up to Chris and his family if they want to seek that.”
The #Gophers will seek a 7th year from NCAA and that will be up to Chris and his family if they want to seek that.
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