As expected, the injury to wide receiver Chico McClatcher‘s ankle is ruled a broken ankle and may need surgery. That rules him out for the rest of the season.
We prepared you for the news we got today. The injury to Chico McClatcher’s ankle was too horrific to be an easy mend. And so, it comes as no surprise to learn our fears were correct. Chico McClatcher has a broken ankle. And with that news, he is out for the season.
Coach Pete says Chico McClatcher has a broken ankle and out for the season. Will ask for Redshirt. Wishing Chico all the best in recovery.
— Elise Woodward (@EliseMWoodward) September 25, 2017
Bad break for Washington, literally
The news is certainly not good, but not surprising. Now, the team will lean once more on their next player in the depth chart.
That next player is wide receiver Aaron Fuller. So far this season, Fuller has four receptions for 45 yards. He earned that in playing during the Fresno State game.
Plan B in effect now
McClatcher is a valued member of the Washington Football receiving corps. At just 5-foot-7 and 181 pounds, the young man has been a dependable contributor to the team’s offense since 2015. So far this season, McClatcher has pulled in 10 passes for 128 yards, rushed 2 times for 9 yards, and returned three kickoffs for 53 yards. In his stead, Fuller comes in at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, so he will present a similarly sized target to quarterback Jake Browning.
Browning will bear the burden of the new lineup. While he doesn’t get much national fanfare, Browning is incredibly adept at spreading the wealth in terms of passing the ball around. So far this season, the team has 13 receivers with two or more receptions.
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So while Chico McClatcher is a huge contributor, his absence will not fall upon the shoulders of one player. Each player picks up a little bit of the slack. And that incremental increase to each receiver results in less work to any one player.
During the September 25 press conference, Coach Petersen hinted that McClatcher should be eligible for a medical redshirt.