Illinois WR Mike Dudek suffers torn ACL; October return possible

A torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered byMike Dudekwill leave Illinois without its most productive wide receiver until at least October.

The sophomore was injured Wednesday morning during a non-contact drill as part of spring practice with the Illini, and the program announced that Dudek would have surgery as soon as possible in an effort to get him back on the field this season after he led the team in catches and receiving touchdowns as a freshman last fall.

"This is very disappointing for Mikey, his family and our football program," Illinois coach Tim Beckman said in a statement. "He'll have the knee surgically repaired as soon as possible and the doctors feel like he could return to the field in October.

"Knowing how hard Mikey works, our biggest challenge will be to keep him on pace and not let him push it too hard and too fast."

Dudek's speed and work ethic were a significant factor in his ability to break into the rotation during his first season on campus and almost instantly become one of the top targets in the Big Ten, earning freshman All-America honors from ESPN.com and a second-team, all-conference selection from the league.

He finished a breakout year with 76 catches for 1,038 yards and six touchdowns, raising the bar for his sophomore season as well as expectations for the Illini collectively after he helped them get back into the postseason with an appearance in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Now for the time being, an encore performance will be delayed.