BREAKING NEWS: Illini WR Ricky Smalling Out For Remainder of Season
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois head coach Lovie Smith confirmed junior wide receiver Ricky Smalling will not be active for the remainder of the 2019 season.
The Illini fourth-year head coach confirmed the news of Smalling's season-ending knee surgery in his Tuesday morning media session and also confirmed he will not be available for the bowl game Illinois has qualified for after getting its sixth win of the 2019 season last weekend at Michigan State.
"Ricky had surgery on his knee and will not be playing football for us again this season," Smith said inside the Smith Football Center.
Smalling left the game against Wisconsin on the first snap of the game and needed to be helped off the field by the Illinois training staff. Despite missing each of the next three games, the Chicago native is still second on the Illini in receptions (24) this season and third in receiving yards with 225.
Smalling had emerged this season as the favorite target for Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters. The 6-foot-1 junior had at least four catches and 41 yards in each of the first four games of the season.
In Smalling's absence, former walk-on Donny Navarro has 11 receptions in his last four games including a 48-yard touchdown in the comeback upset win over then-No. 6 Wisconsin. Last weekend, Navarro had a career-high seven receptions for 49 yards in the 37-34 win at Michigan State.
Smalling has totaled 88 receptions for 1,141 yards and eight touchdowns during his career and is expected to make a full recovery but could likely miss spring practices starting in late March or early April.