BYU running back Jamaal Williams will not play for the Cougars this season.
“Jamaal has withdrawn from school for personal reasons and will redshirt the 2015 season,” BYU football head coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a press release. “We plan on Jamaal returning for the 2016 season.”
The 6-foot, 206-pounder has not played a game for BYU since last November. He suffered a season-ending injury during the game against Middle Tennessee State.
Despite missing six games due to his knee injury, Williams led BYU in rushing with 109 carries for 518 yards last season.
Williams, from Fontana, California, has 492 rushing attempts for 2,526 yards and 23 touchdowns in his career as a three-year starter. He’s also caught 53 passes for 487 yards.
The press release is unclear about Williams’ reasons for redshirting the 2015 season. During 2015 BYU Football Media Day, Williams said he was planning on playing in the season opener against Nebraska on Sept. 5, but that is no longer the case.
It is also unknown what Williams’ absence will mean for BYU’s offense. At Media Day, offensive coordinator Robert Anae said, “(Williams) is a very important part of the offensive scheme.”
Williams is currently 929 yards away from breaking BYU’s career rushing yards record. It seems that BYU fans will have to wait until 2016 to see if Williams can break the record.
The BYU Sports Information Department had no further information at the time of publication.
