Ronnie Bell's season is over before it hardly began.
After injuring his knee in Michigan's season-opening win over Western Michigan in which the star wide receiver scored a 76-yard touchdown, Bell is done for the year, Jim Harbaugh announced Monday.
It's a huge blow for the Wolverines. Bell, a co-captain, led the team in receiving each of the past two seasons. He was Michigan's most dangerous weapon on offense.
"It's going to be really difficult to replace Ronnie Bell," Harbaugh said. "Really hard."
In Bell's absence, Michigan will lean more heavily on junior receivers Cornelius Johnson and Mike Sainristil. Sophomores A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson will be counted on as well, along with coveted transfer Daylen Baldwin. Henning and Baldwin both scored touchdowns in the opener, the latter on a 69-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy.
It's a brutal setback for Bell, who entered the season with serious NFL aspirations. Those aren't erased by his injury, but the rest of his college career could be.
"It's going to be a tough, grueling rehab," Harbaugh said. "If anybody can do it, Ronnie Bell can."
