Michigan tight end Jake Butt will reportedly need surgery to repair a torn ACL after getting injured Friday night during the Orange Bowl against FSU.
Michigan TE Jake Butt tore his ACL during Friday night’s Orange Bowl loss and will need to undergo surgery, per source close to school.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 1, 2017
It’s the worst possible news for Butt, who will enter the 2017 NFL Draft in April.
A player who is effective as a receiver and as a blocker, Butt is a complete tight end and the best of the 2017 draft class. He caught 46 passes for 546 yards and four touchdowns this year at Michigan.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end has been pegged by most draft folks as a first-round pick. Based on the recovery time for an ACL tear, which usually runs around eight months, Butt might be ready to go for training camp but wouldn’t be healthy enough to engage in any team offseason workouts.
That’s going to put a damper on his value right off the bat, which will likely cause his stock to fall a bit. Despite all that, Butt has already made it clear he isn’t second guessing his decision to play on Friday.