Brett Hundley Injury: Updates on UCLA Star's Elbow and Return

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 25

College Football 24/7 reports good news for Hundley:

Updates from Saturday, Sept. 20

Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times has an update on Hundley's status:

Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 17

Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times reported on Brett Hundley's injured elbow from Bruins practice:

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Hundley, who injured his elbow against Texas on Saturday, was in full uniform. He did not have a bandage or brace on his left arm as he entered practice.

How much work he would do in practice was unknown. The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News and Orange County Register decided two years ago not to attend practices because the newspapers would not submit to the terms from UCLA.

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Updates from Sunday, Sept. 14

Coach Jim Mora commented on Brett Hundley's injury via Edward Lewis of Rivals.com:

Original Text

With a Heisman Trophy and early selection in the NFL draft potentially in his sights, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley must now overcome adversity in the form of an elbow injury suffered against Texas in Week 3, according to David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest:

Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times has an update:

FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman had an update after the game:

Edward Lewis of Bruins Sports Report provides a photo of the play in which the injury occurred:

Foster previously reported Hundley's return was likely:

After two productive seasons as the Bruins' starting quarterback, Hundley decided to return for his redshirt junior season. That came as a surprise to some, as it is was assumed he could have been an early-round selection.

While there were obvious risks involved with returning to school, UCLA head coach Jim Mora revealed prior to the 2014 season that he thought Hundley made the right decision, per NFL.com's Bryan Fischer.

"In Brett's case, it was the best thing for him to come back. It will make him a better player in the long run," Mora said. "His dream is not going anywhere. His dream is to play in the NFL and his dream could become more vivid. Maybe he wins the Heisman. Maybe he's the first pick."

Mora laid out the best-case scenarios but failed to mention what an injury could potentially do to his draft stock. It remains to be seen if Hundley's injury will have any long-term implications as far as the rest of the college football season and his draft status go, but it is disconcerting nonetheless.

This isn't the first time Hundley has suffered an injury in the collegiate ranks. He tore his meniscus as a freshman in 2011, which resulted in a medical redshirt. Hundley bounced back and became an elite signal-caller in 2012 and 2013, but that injury likely remained in the back of everyone's mind.

Hundley certainly didn't forget it, as Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register reported prior to the season that Hundley took out an insurance policy:

That means Hundley is covered if this injury puts his NFL career in jeopardy, but the 21-year-old and his supporters certainly hope he won't have to collect on it.

If this ends up being little more than a scare, then Hundley still has a great opportunity to be taken early in the 2015 NFL draft. Mora had no doubts about his ability to transition to the NFL entering the 2014 campaign, per Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports:

Hundley certainly has an excellent skill set, ideal size and the production that NFL teams look for. After racking up over 4,000 total yards and 38 touchdowns as a freshman in 2012, Hundley's numbers dipped a bit in 2013 but were still excellent.

Although he scored five less touchdowns and passed for nearly 700 less yards, he ran for almost 400 more yards, which is something that will appeal to NFL teams with dual-threat quarterbacks becoming all the rage.

While Hundley's NFL future may very well be hanging in the balance as it relates to this injury, UCLA's present is impacted as well. The Bruins' Pac-12 hopes hinge largely on Hundley's broad shoulders since he accounts for the vast majority of UCLA's offense.

If he is forced to miss any time, then the Bruins are going to struggle to remain afloat in the Pac-12 South. High-powered offenses are needed to truly remain competitive within the conference, and the Bruins won't have that without Hundley.

There is always a chance that the injury will be little more than a minor hindrance, and many are hopeful that is the case for Hundley and UCLA.

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