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Status of Michigan DL Rashan Gary remains up in the air
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Rashan Gary hasn’t stepped foot on a football field this month. And Jim Harbaugh has no idea when the Michigan defensive lineman might return.
On Monday, Harbaugh was asked about Gary’s status for last weekend’s game against Michigan State and what to expect moving forward. Harbaugh didn’t provide much clarity, but Gary was cleared to play against the Spartans but decided he wasn’t ready.
When asked when Gary might return to the field, Harbaugh said he didn’t know.
Rashan Gary practiced last week — Gary decided he wasn't ready to play
— angelique (@chengelis) October 22, 2018
Rashan Gary be back? "I don't know" — Harbaugh
— angelique (@chengelis) October 22, 2018
Some have speculated that Gary may shut it down for the 2018 season, opting to follow Ohio State defensive lineman Nick Bosa’s path and begin training for the NFL rather than risk further injury. Harbaugh says that he hasn’t been told anything like that.
Harbaugh says Gary has not indicated he will sit the rest of the season
— angelique (@chengelis) October 22, 2018
Gary last stepped on the field on Sept. 29 when the Wolverines took on Northwestern. He has missed the last three games against Maryland, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Gary has played in five games this season, totaling 22 tackles, 4.5 for loss with two sacks. In three seasons in Ann Arbor, he’s racked up 112 stops and 21.5 tackles for loss.
Michigan’s defense has been performing at an elite level without Gary on the field. And if he returns at some point this season, it’s going to be really tough to see many offenses scoring points on the Wolverines.
The Wolverines are 7-1 on the season with matchups against Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana and Ohio State remaining.
Michigan is on a bye week.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB