Minnesota football: WR Chris Autman-Bell injured in practice

The Minnesota football wide-receiver room suffered a setback Thursday night when Chris Autman-Bell suffered an apparent leg injury in practice.

News: The #Gophers best reciever, Chris Autman-Bell, needed assistance going to locker room after he was bent backward and suffered an apparent leg injury from a tackle during a one-on-one drill during open practice at Huntington Bank Stadium on Thursday.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) August 13, 2021

It’s too early to know the significance of the injury, but the Gophers were counting on Autman-Bell to fill the void left by Rashod Batemen who was selected in the first-round of April’s NFL Draft.

Autman-Bell has 78 receptions for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns in his three seasons with the Minnesota football program.

The Gophers will obviously need all the help they can get in just a few weeks when Ohio State, ranked No. 4 in preseason AP Coaches Poll that came out earlier this week, comes to town on Sept. 4 to open the season.

Randy Johnson, who covers Minnesota football of for the Star Tribune, provided more insight into the injury.

“Autman-Bell, a redshirt senior, was tended to on the field for a couple of minutes after being tackled,” Johnson said. “He was helped to the sideline by training staff, who were checking his right knee after he was placed on a table. Linebacker Braelen Oliver and running back Mohamed Ibrahim jogged over to the sideline to check on Autman-Bell and show their support while he was being examined. There was no immediate update from a team spokesman on Autman-Bell’s status, and coach P.J. Fleck was not scheduled to meet with the media after practice.”

Minnesota football thin at WR

Even with Autman-Bell set to take over the reigns as the Gophers’ No. 1 wideout, the team was already thin at the position after losing Bateman to the NFL.

Bateman’s production can’t be overstated.

The 21st overall selection ended his time with the Minnesota football program catching at least one pass in all 31 games he played in (fifth in school history). Bateman recorded 147 receptions for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns during his 3-year career, with 10 games where he surpassed at least 100 yards.

If the Autman-Bell injury proves to be significant, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck will have to turn to a young, unproven group at wide-receiver.

Daniel Jackson is penciled as the No. 2 pass-catcher, entering 2021 with the most experience. Jackson played in seven games in 2020, hauling in 12 passes for 167 yards.

Behind Jackson is Texas A&M transfer Dylan Wright, who played in eight games with the Aggies.