Here's what Jim Harbaugh said about Michigan football's mounting injury situation
Michigan football played without five starters due to injury against Rutgers on Saturday, then lost two more starters, Cameron McGrone and Brad Hawkins, during the game.
Harbaugh did not provide an update on any particular player but said "some are possible" to play Saturday against Penn State.
“Questionable, I think, is the word everybody understands," Harbaugh said. "As of Monday, guys are still working through things. We’ll see where we are later in the week.”
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McGrone was injured and carted off in the first half against Rutgers and did not return. The redshirt sophomore entered the season as one of the defense's most promising talents after tallying 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2019. This season, he has 26 tackles, two tackles for loss and half a sack. Hawkins, one of the defense's starting safeties, also was hurt against the Scarlet Knights and did not return. He has 40 tackles and one tackle for loss this season.
The Wolverines turned to former walk-on Adam Shibley at middle linebacker after McGrone left the game. Shibley finished with five tackles and one tackle for loss and earned praise from Harbaugh after the game. Hunter Reynolds replaced Hawkins at safety.
"Thought Adam Shibley came in and played really well," Harbaugh said Saturday night. "He does a really good job of not overrunning the play and made a couple good tackles."
McGrone and Hawkins' injuries are the latest blow to Michigan's defense, which lost defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury at Indiana and has been without defensive end Kwity Paye for the past two games.
Six starters have missed a combined 12 games for the Wolverines this season because of injury.
Contact Orion Sang: osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh updates Michigan football's mounting injury situation
