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Seth Russell Injury Update: Baylor QB to undergo season-ending neck surgery

By Patrick Schmidt

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Baylor Bears quarterback Seth Russell will undergo season-ending neck surgery after breaking a bone in his neck in the win against Iowa State.

Seth Russell will undergo season-ending neck surgery after the Heisman candidate broke a bone in his neck during Baylor’s win against Iowa State.

Russell was leading the nation in passer rating and passing touchdowns entering the game for the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, but the keys to the offense will now belong to true freshman Jarrett Stidham.

This is a damaging blow for Art Briles’ team who has a back-loaded schedule that will test Stidham and the rest of the team as they look to remain undefeated and get in the College Football Playoff. That may have been a much more manageable schedule with Russell who was playing as well as any quarterback in the country so far this year, but don’t completely give up on Baylor.

Stidham is a freshman, but Briles said he’s the most polished freshman quarterback he’s ever been around and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation will have the nation’s best receiver in Corey Coleman to throw to as he gets comfortable in his new starting role.

In addition to Coleman, who already has 18 touchdowns this year, Stidham has arguably the best offensive line in the Big 12 protecting for him and the Big 12’s leading rusher in Shock Linwood to make sure the Bears offense remains balanced and proficient.

Baylor has gone from Robert Griffin III to Nick Florence to Bryce Petty to Seth Russell and all of them were seemingly better than the guy they were replacing. Sure, the shoes Stidham is tasked with filling are large ones but the system is in place in Waco to have success no matter who is behind center.

For Russell, the hope is he’ll be ready to compete to get his starting job back next year, and the playing time Stidham is receiving now should only be a benefit for him as his career progresses. There will be some hiccups along the way, but trust Briles will put him in spots to succeed and limit his exposure as the Bears look to beat TCU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title.

Next: 30 Best College Football Quarterbacks of All-Time

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