Baylor RB Johnny Jefferson Will Not Play in 2016 Season

Baylor will be without junior running back Johnny Jefferson for the entire 2016 season, head coach Jim Grobe announced Friday.

According to Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports, Grobe said the following regarding Jefferson's decision to sit out the 2016 campaign: "Johnny, while still a member of this team, in addition to healing recent injuries is taking some time away from school to deal with some personal issues and hopefully will rejoin the program for spring semester."

Jefferson missed the Bears' season-opening win over Northwestern State with foot and rib injuries.

Jefferson ranked second on the team last season with 1,000 rushing yards and third with eight rushing touchdowns.

The Killeen, Texas, native was also named the MVP of Baylor's Russell Athletic Bowl victory over North Carolina last season, as he rushed for 299 yards and three scores.

Jefferson was expected to be a huge part of Baylor's offense once again in 2016, but Grobe's team is well-prepared to do damage on the ground without him.

Leading returning rusher Shock Linwood rushed for 97 yards in the season opener, while sophomore Terence Williams picked up 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Seth Russell also performed well with four passing touchdowns against Northwestern State, which means the Bears' high-powered offense should still be a force to be reckoned with even without Jefferson's explosiveness on the field.

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