Florida State DE Jenkins to miss remainder of the season

TALLAHASSEE – Senior defensive end Brandon Jenkins, the biggest star on Florida State's star-studded defense, has been lost to a season-ending foot injury.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

Jenkins, a Florida High graduate who led FSU in sacks each of the past two seasons, went down in the second quarter of Saturday's season opener against Murray State. After tending to him on the sideline, team trainers tried to give Jenkins crutches to help him get back to the locker room, but he tossed them aside and walked back under his own power.

After the game, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters that X-rays of Jenkins' foot were negative, and that team doctors believed it was just a deep bruise. During his weekly press conference Monday afternoon, Fisher opened the door slightly that it could be worse.

"We'll probably MRI it, check it, just to make sure for his sake," Fisher said.

That MRI, as well as a "weight-bearing" X-ray, revealed that Jenkins had sustained a Lisfranc injury. The most common description of a Lisfranc injury refers to a broken bone (or bones) or torn ligaments in the "midfoot" area, according to medical websites.

"Brandon is not only a tremendous player, but a great person, teammate and leader that we will miss," Fisher said in a statement late Monday. "I know he'll bounce back and recover to continue a great career."

Jenkins' injury is the second major blow to a Florida State defense that was projected to be among the best in the country. Senior cornerback Greg Reid was dismissed from the team during the summer for a violation of team rules. The Seminoles now have lost their most experienced defensive back and top pass-rusher.

Jenkins earned first-team All-ACC honors as a sophomore after racking up 13 1/2 sacks. He posted a team-high eight sacks in 2011 and was named second-team All-ACC.

He likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Cornellius Carradine, who came off the bench Saturday to lead the team in tackles. And the Seminoles likely will go with a four-man rotation at the two defensive end spots — with Carradine and junior Bjoern Werner backed up by senior Toshmon Stevens and redshirt freshman Giorgio Newberry.

Fisher said Monday he hoped to redshirt freshman defensive ends Mario Edwards Jr. and Chris Casher, but that approach might have to be adjusted.

Earlier this year, Jenkins planned on skipping his senior season and making himself available for the NFL Draft. He was projected to go in the second round but changed his mind after a heart-to-heart with Fisher.

Jenkins said he wanted to come back to pursue his degree, help the Seminoles win a national championship and improve his draft status. Because Jenkins played as a true freshman in 2009, he would be eligible to take a medical hardship and return to the Seminoles next season. He also could make himself available for the 2013 draft.

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