Indiana has a chance to get kickoff specialist Brendan Franke back for the College Football Playoff. Franke was listed as “probable” in the first injury report issued Monday for the CFP quarterfinal at The Rose Bowl when IU football faces Alabama.
Franke was injured during a kickoff when IU played UCLA in October and he hasn’t played since.
One of the top kickoff specialists in the nation, Franke has produced 46 touchbacks on 51 kickoffs this season, averaging 71 yards per kick. He also made a 58-yard field goal at Oregon in October.
Among kickers with at least 50 kickoffs, Franke ranks No. 5 nationally with a 7.8% return rate.
Indiana’s other kickers have only generated touchbacks on 17 of 49 kickoffs. 546 of the 603 kickoff return yards against Indiana this season came when kickers other than Franke kicked off.
IU listed four players as “out”, with none coming as a surprise. They are defensive ends Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, running back Lee Beebe, Jr., and safety Bryson Bonds.
As reported earlier on Monday, wide receiver Omar Cooper, Jr. is back to 100 percent and not included on the injury report.
On the Alabama side, the only three players listed as out have all been inactive for a long time.
Jah-Marien Latham, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and Jeremiah Beaman are all out for the Crimson Tide.
The first full Rose Bowl injury report published on the CFP website Monday evening is below. Daily updates will follow, leading to a final report 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
No. 1 Indiana (13-0) and No. 9 Alabama (11-3) kick at 4 p.m. ET Thursday in Pasadena, Calif. (ESPN).
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