Golden Gophers’ Star RB Mohamed Ibrahim Suffers a Season-Ending Injury

Mohamed Ibrahim with Minnesota in 2020
Mohamed Ibrahim with Minnesota in 2020. Photo by Kyle Okita/CSM/Shutterstock (10516378t)

The Big Ten powerhouse Minnesota Golden Gophers will have to play out the 2021 NCAA campaign without their star back Mohamed Ibrahim. Head coach P.J. Fleck told reporters that Ibrahim suffered a lower leg injury and will have to undergo season-ending surgery.

Ibrahim, who was named the Big Ten’s running back of the year in 2020, got hurt in Minnesota’s loss to Ohio State last week. Before exiting the game in the third quarter, the redshirt senior had 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

While not going into the details about the injury, Fleck described it as “pretty clean” and said Ibrahim is looking at a six-month recovery timeline.

“He’ll make a full recovery from it, but you feel really, really bad for the young man,” he added.

In three previous seasons with Minnesota, Mohamed Ibrahim racked up 2,840 yards and 33 touchdowns. He was expected to enter the NFL draft carried by another productive year as Golden Gopher in 2021, but his plans could possibly change after this devastating injury.

Ibrahim could potentially stay in college for one more year due to the NCAA’s decision not to count 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He could secure an additional season if approved medical hardship waiver and end up staying at Minnesota through 2023 in case he chooses to do so.