Wisconsin Football: All-Big Ten LB Jack Cichy to miss season with torn ACL

Wisconsin football received some unfortunate news on Thursday as All-Big Ten linebacker Jack Cichy was ruled out for 2017 with a torn ACL.

Getting up for another season of contending in the Big Ten West, Wisconsin football and head coach Paul Chryst had to feel good about one position group above all else: linebackers.

The three starters in the middle of the defense seemed to be All-Big Ten worthy and multiple preview publications, such as Lindy’s and Athlon, had named a combination of the Wisconsin linebacker to their preseason All-Big Ten squads.

Unfortunately, Chryst will have to make adjustments on the fly as returning senior starting inside linebacker Jack Cichy went down with an injury and it will end his season.

According to reports, it’s been called a torn ACL which will require surgery and need about 6-8 months of rehab.

The news is devastating for the Badgers, but it’s also not the end of the world. Sure, Cichy could have been one of the best linebackers, if not the best, in the conference in 2017, but there’s a cornucopia of depth at the position.

At inside linebacker, T.J. Edwards is still back as a junior starter and fellow junior Ryan Connelly will likely take Cichy’s place. He’s more than capable to take over as the starter and don’t be surprised to see the defense not miss a step in Cichy’s absence.

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The senior linebacker redshirted in 2014, so he has already used up his eligibility, but he’s likely to apply, and be granted, a medical redshirt. He was on the Butkus Award and Nagurski Trophy watch lists and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention linebacker in 2016.

Cichy posted 60 tackles, seven for loss and 1.5 sacks with two pass deflections last season.