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Injury was added to insult for Rutgers football on Monday with the news that playmaker Aron Cruickshank is out for the year. The wide receiver, perhaps the most influential player on the team’s offense, suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s 52-3 loss to Wisconsin.
Head coach Greg Schiano told reporters on Monday that Cruickshank will require surgery.
“Aron Cruickshank is out for the season. I really feel bad for him because he came back from his shoulder injury that he sustained and then he had a knee injury – that he’s going to need surgery for,” Schiano said.
“I feel really bad; he’s such a competitor. And such a great representative for us but you know, what? We’ll surround him, we’ll help him through it. He’ll heal, medicine being as good as it is now, he’ll be back.
“He’s going to have a change in kind of goals right now for a little bit until he gets back to playing.”
Cruickshank suffered the injury attempting a kickoff return. He was a huge part of the offense and, given his speed, had the ability to change games for a Rutgers offense that has struggled at times this season to move the ball and get chunk yards.
Despite battling injuries this season, Cruickshank has 20 catches for 244 yards with two touchdowns. The special teams threat has nine punt returns for 135 yards with a touchdown and 15 kickoff returns for 316 yards.