The injury bug has hit the Wisconsin Badgers offense hard already this season.
Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending knee injury in Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 14. Backup Braedyn Locke started the USC Trojans game on September 28 and struggled in the loss.
While Wisconsin’s passing game suffered, the team was expected to rely on its rushing attack even more than usual for the rest of the season.
On Thursday, that plan ran into a roadblock. The school announced that leading rusher and sixth-year senior Chez Mellusi is stepping away from football to recover from injuries suffered over the past few seasons.
“He’s endured many injuries and has worked extremely hard to be able to play this year, but his body hasn’t responded the way he expected,” a team spokesperson said to ESPN. “We’re here to support Chez in any way we can and hope he’ll be back on the football field again one day.”
The spokesperson also said Mellusi is welcome to return to the team later this season if he chooses.
In his collegiate career, which started with the Clemson Tigers, Mellusi has suffered a torn ACL, broken arm, and broken leg and ankle. The latter of which came last season and cost him nine games.
So far this season, Mellusi has rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries.
Wisconsin looks to get back in the win column on Saturday when they welcome the Purdue Boilermakers to Madison.
