8 most impactful injuries across the B1G in preseason camp

The 2023 college football season begins this Saturday with Week 0 action going down across the country! While the national championship odds paint an early picture of how the title race will shake out, injuries are bound to play a role in the eventual outcome this fall.

Michigan rolled to the Playoff last season but was left without Heisman contender Blake Corum after a season-ending knee injury. Ohio State also knows all too well about untimely injuries after losing Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Peach Bowl against Georgia.

For a number of teams, getting through training camp with a healthy roster is a major victory in itself. The health of a roster is also key for parties interested in taking action on the preseason odds with our Michigan Online Casinos promo code.

With that in mind, here are some of the impactful injuries from training camp to keep an eye on:

Cade McNamara, Iowa QB

McNamara is the clear starter for Iowa and has been since the spring. Unfortunately, he went down with an injury in a scrimmage. Head coach Kirk Ferentz labeled that injury a muscle issue and reports from the BTN’s bus tour indicate McNamara is expected back before the season opener. However, a re-injury or aggravation would put the Hawkeyes in a bind.

Jake Renfro, Wisconsin center

Renfro followed head coach Luke Fickell to Wisconsin via the transfer portal from Cincinnati. Unfortunately, Fickell confirmed the key offensive lineman is out and it remains to be seen when Renfro will return. Over the weekend, Fickell said the program is “hoping it’s three, four weeks,” but that is currently unclear.

Matthew Bailey, Illinois DB

Bailey had a strong 2022 season, finishing the year with 3 interceptions and appearing in all 13 games for Illinois. With a number of defensive backs off to the NFL, he could be in line for a big season but is still sidelined. Head coach Bret Bielema also confirmed the earliest Bailey would probably be able to return is Week 3 against Penn State.

Teddy Prochazka, Nebraska OL
Rahmir Johnson, Nebraska RB
Marcus Washington, Nebraska WR

Nebraska is juggling a trio of key injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Prochazka has dealt with two season-ending injuries in his career, and while his latest ailment is not expected to be serious, it is still valuable time he has missed in training camp.

Johnson was recently revealed to be Nebraska’s primary 3rd-down back per Matt Rhule behind Gabe Ervin as the starter. Unfortunately, Johnson is also dinged up in camp.

Washington is Nebraska’s best-returning receiver but has been sidelined in fall camp. Rhule confirmed all 3 are still out recently but the team is positive with that group trending in the right direction.

Kourt Williams, Ohio State LB

Williams has been a leader for Ohio State during his tenure and was limited to 6 games a season ago. The former defensive back was transitioning to linebacker for the fall, but Ryan Day confirmed he will be out for the season with an ACL injury. While the Buckeyes are deep at the position, losing a team leader is a tough blow before the season even starts.

Riley Nowakowski, Wisconsin TE

Nowakowski has mainly seen special teams action early in his career but was seen taking first-team reps with the Badgers this training camp. Fickell admitted the program doesn’t have a firm outlook for the TE, but he did say the team is hoping to get Nowakowski back anywhere between 4-6 weeks.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.