Ahmir Mitchell had hopes of shining in his first full season of action at Rutgers.

The former four-star wideout transferred from Michigan before the start of the 2016 season, which he sat out because of NCAA transfer rules.

But now, Mitchell’s Rutgers’ debut will be delayed even more. The Knights announced that Mitchell tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Even just making it back at all in 2017 will be difficult for Mitchell. The start of the season is five months away, which means that even if the timetable is only seven months, he won’t be back until November.

Mitchell had been one of the top performers during spring practices. He was listed as a starting receiver on Rutgers’ depth chart, though he was still behind two-sport athlete Jawuan Harris and injured wideout Janarion Grant in the pecking order.

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Chris Ash told NJ.com that Mitchell’s maturation had impressed him.

“He’s really bought in,” Ash said last week. “The thing I love about Ahmir right now is his competitive spirit. When you look at guys that are competing every single day, I don’t know if we have a player out there that’s competing more than Ahmir every single day.”

Mitchell, an Egg Harbor City, New Jersey native, was the No. 167 player overall in the 2016 class. He left Michigan after he was suspended before the start of the 2016 season. Mitchell has four years of eligibility remaining.

Without the 6-3 wideout, Rutgers will depend even more on the likes of Grant and Harris.

Rutgers’ spring game is set for Saturday, April 22.