Senior wide receiver Luke Swan will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn hamstring and will likely be out for the remainder of the season, head coach Bret Bielema announced Monday at his weekly news conference.
Swan, a captain, injured his hamstring on a third-down completion late in the first half Saturday. The completion set up a 26-yard field goal by senior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff with five seconds remaining. Swan landed awkwardly after being hit by senior Illinois safety Justin Harrison on the play and did not return in the second half.
“Luke’s a great kid in our program, and it was a hard day yesterday,” a subdued Bielema said. “Any time you lose somebody for a season, but especially when they’re a senior and they’ve done so many things, it’s tough for everybody.”
Swan is second on the team with 25 receptions for 451 yards and two scores, along with an average of 18.0 yards per reception. In addition to his receiving duties, the Fennimore, Wis. native played an important role in the punt game, fielding kicks in pooch punt situations.
In Swan’s absence, true freshmen Kyle Jefferson and David Gilreath will take on much larger roles at the wide receiver position. The two are slated to start this Saturday at Penn State.
Jefferson has seen more time than Gilreath so far, collecting 10 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Gilreath, primarily used as a kick and punt returner, has one reception so far.
“With the absence of Luke and [senior wide receiver] Paul Hubbard, I thought one of the highlights has been the performance of David Gilreath and Kyle Jefferson, a couple true freshmen stepping up and doing some good things,” Bielema said.
Hubbard, who started alongside Swan to begin the season, has been out since spraining his right knee Sept. 8 at UNLV. According to Bielema, no timetable has been set for his return, but he could be back some time in the next couple of weeks.
Sophomore Xavier Harris, junior Marcus Randle El and freshman Maurice Moore will also see additional playing time at the receiver slots.
