Arik Armstead Injury: Updates on Oregon Star's Ankle and Return

Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead is a promising talent with a bright future, but before he captures that potential, he's going to have to stay on the field.

Andrew Greif of The Oregonian reports Armstead suffered a leg injury Saturday night against Stanford:

Kristin MacDougald of Comcast Sports Northwest showed Armstead in a brace walking off the field after the game:

While the multiple injuries won't help the draft stock of Armstead, who is expected to declare after this season, it's also a blow to Oregon's defensive line. ESPN's Jesse Palmer put it simply back when Armstead went down with his first injury this season:

An argument can be made for either Armstead or DeForest Buckner as the Ducks' best defensive lineman, but there's no denying the former's massive impact in the trenches.

Literally. At 6'8" and 290 pounds, Armstead is a towering force who sheds blocks and clogs running lanes, while also possessing the speed to hurry the quarterback.

Although he had a solid sophomore campaign, racking up three tackles for loss and a sack, the Pleasant Grove, California native has come into his own, beginning to show glimpses of that tantalizing potential in 2014. In particular, he tallied five tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and a QB hurry against Michigan State earlier in the year, proving Oregon can compete with more physical teams.

The Oregonian's Jason Quick gave his assessment after that transcendent performance:

"The beast was finally released'' linebacker Tony Washington said, via Quick.

Unfortunately, the beast has once again been tamed, at least for now. Oregon has impressive depth in T.J. Daniel and Sam Kamp, but Helfrich and the Ducks will still be hoping not to be without their game-changing lineman for too long.