Maryland running back Lorenzo Harrison III is out for the season after suffering a knee injury in practice this week, he announced on Instagram Thursday.
Harrison missed the Terps’ previous two games with a hamstring injury, but returned to practice in full this week. That’s where he damaged his knee, requiring surgery that will sideline him until 2019.
The junior from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, rushed for 84 yards in two games. Harrison lost two yards on two carries in the Terps’ season-opening win over Texas, but was stellar at Bowling Green, tallying 86 yards on eight attempts with a touchdown. Since those were the only games he appeared in, Harrison will qualify for a medical redshirt and receive an extra year of eligibility should he choose to take it.
Harrison burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2016, scoring in his first four games and recording 633 yards in eight contests before being suspended indefinitely for his role in an on-campus airsoft gun incident. He had 622 yards over a full season last year.
Maryland still has Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland to lead the charge, while Tayon Fleet-Davis has three rushing touchdowns this season. Jake Funk has been sidelined for the last three games with a broken hand, and it’s possible Harrison’s injury opens up a larger role for Javon Leake. But the junior’s elusiveness will still be missed.
The Terps visit Michigan on Oct. 6 at noon on ABC.