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It didn’t take long for N.C. State to lose a key player for the season.
Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren announced Monday that linebacker AJ Richardson will miss the rest of the season. The senior suffered a bicep injury during the team’s season opener against Virginia, marking the second consecutive year he was injured against the Cavaliers.
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Richardson was named one of five team captains this year, alongside CJ Bailey, Duke Scott, Popo Aguirre and Brian Nelson II.
“He’s going to make a great recovery and be back with this four- to six-month recovery, but it’ll cost him the year,” Doeren said. “Next man up; something that unfortunately we’ve been used to. Outside of that, we came out of the game very healthy, but losing a player of his magnitude, from a leadership standpoint, creates an opportunity for the guys around him. It also creates some loss in the roster. I feel for him, and I know he’ll do a great job bouncing back.”
Richardson played four games last season and one this season for a total of 143 snaps.
Defensive lineman Isaiah Shirley complimented Richardson this summer at ACC Kickoff.
“He’s a guy that you know is helping us out in leadership,” Shirley said. “He’s also gonna be a great player, great linebacker for us.”
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Doeren has yet to name a starter. N.C. State has depth at the linebacker spot, he said, which gives the Wolfpack plenty of players who can step in.
Da’Kaari Nelson, LaCorian Hodge, Bailey Benson, Jordan Moreta and Ziggy Moore are among the possible replacements, Doeren said. Nelson has the most experience and was second on the depth chart behind Richardson.
“We have options. It may take some time to see who becomes that guy,” Doeren said. “I’m surely not going to tell you who it is now, but there’s several players that are getting that opportunity in practice right now to earn that spot.”
This is not the first time N.C. State football has lost a major linebacker to injury. Payton Wilson, Sean Brown and Caden Fordham are all among recent players to miss major portions of at least one season due to injury.
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N.C. State plays Richmond at 7 p.m. Friday for its home opener.