After spending most of the 2019 season sidelined with a knee injury, Oklahoma linebacker Caleb Kelly has once again suffered a setback. According ESPN.com and Soonerscoop.com, Kelly sustained a knee injury with what is "likely" an ACL tear. While Kelly himself didn't confirm the exact nature of the injury, he did comment on Soonerscoop report indicating he was hurt.
Oklahoma has yet to comment on Kelly's status.
Given the nature of Kelly's injury, along with the proximity to -- and the uncertainty of -- the upcoming season, it's possible the redshirt senior could miss all of 2020. This would be the second straight year Kelly has been hampered with an injury. In April of 2019, Kelly sustained an ACL injury in spring practice that sidelined him until November. He then appeared in four games, including the Sooners' College Football Playoff semifinal loss to LSU, accumulating seven tackles.
Should Kelly miss most or all of the upcoming season, he would be eligible for a sixth year granted by the NCAA.
Before his injuries, Kelly was a prominent member of Oklahoma's defense. The former five-star prospect in the class of 2016 had 61 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior in 2018. Originally recruited as an outside linebacker, Kelly had moved inside and played both positions during his career in Norman. He was likely pegged to play inside as Oklahoma finds a replacement for leading tackler Kenneth Murray.