Scooby Wright Injury: Updates on Arizona Star's Knee and Return

Arizona Wildcats star linebacker Scooby Wright is set to return to the field Sept. 26 against UCLA, head coach Rich Rodriguez said, per Anthony Gimino of Tucson News Now.

Wright suffered a knee injury against the University of Texas at San Antonio on Sept. 3 and had been held out of action ever since. Wright had a procedure on his lateral meniscus, as Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated reported Sept. 5.

Wright is arguably the most valuable defensive player in all of college football.

According to Sports-Reference.com, the superstar tallied 164 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and five forced fumbles last season on his way to being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and winning the Bronko Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik and Vince Lombardi Awards.

He even finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting as a defender on an Arizona team that doesn't get the national attention other blue-chip programs receive.

It's not just the raw talent the Wildcats missed during Wright's absence, but it's also his versatility. He frequently lines up at defensive end or on the outside as a pass-rusher and is more than comfortable with occupying the middle linebacker position on most downs. He is a matchup nightmare for any offensive line.

Wright needs to be on the field for the Wildcats to be a complete defense, and his return has to have Rodriguez and Arizona feeling good.