Eku Leota out for the season

[AUINSY 2,228]

Auburn will be without one of its top pass-rushers for the remainder of the year. Eku Leota was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a pec injury during Auburn's loss to LSU last weekend, coach Bryan Harsin confirmed Monday. Leot will undergo surgery Tuesday. Leota sustained the injury late in the first quarter of Auburn’s 21-17 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium and did not return to the field. Upon exiting the game, he retreated to the locker room with team trainers, and when he emerged from the tunnel early in the second quarter, he was in street clothes and had his right arm in a sling. He spent the remainder of the game sitting on the training table on Auburn’s sideline.

The 6-foot-4, 257-pound senior has been Auburn’s second-most productive pass rusher this season. He’s tied with Colby Wooden for second on the team in sacks, with two, to go along with 17 total tackles, five for a loss and three quarterback hurries.

A former transfer from Northwestern, Leota is in his second season on the Plains. He was one of the team’s most productive edge rushers last season, when he finished with 23 total tackles, but 10 for a loss and seven sacks, to go along with eight quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

With Leota out, Auburn adjusted the personnel on its official two-deep depth chart to now reflect a 4-2-5 base defense. The Tigers now list just one edge position, with Derick Hall on the top line followed by redshirt freshman Dylan Brooks, who has played just 19 snaps this season. Marcus Bragg, who stepped in for Leota against LSU, is now listed at defensive end behind Wooden, while the team added a nickelback to its depth chart -- with Keionte Scott starting and freshman Austin Ausberry behind him.

https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2022/10/auburn-edge-eku-leota-out-for-season-with-pectoral-injury.html

Edited October 3, 2022 by AUINSY

[api1957 1,783]

Without a meltdown thread so this goes here

[AUINSY 2,228]

4 minutes ago, api1957 said:

Without a meltdown thread so this goes here

You and me both, friend 😞
 

[FASTCOMPANY 394]

Bragg played well....when he wasn't getting held! He's no Leota though. More than anything it kills an already thin position, as far as depth.

[EastAl_Tiger 225]

Is it just me or is the torn Pec a modern day injury?  Can't recall seeing this in the 70's, 80's 90's.  If that's the case, why?

[api1957 1,783]

3 minutes ago, EastAl_Tiger said:

Is it just me or is the torn Pec a modern day injury?  Can't recall seeing this in the 70's, 80's 90's.  If that's the case, why?

Maybe we don't bench press enough. Let's bring back that ole debate, shall we?

[AUINSY 2,228]

Would our players ever get to a point where they don't want to injure themselves to protect their career with what appears to already be a lost coach/lost season? I wonder if players would start doing that earlier in the season prior to bowl games. Is that what happened with Calzada? I wouldn't blame them. I also don't see a bowl game in our future. 

[api1957 1,783]

Side question, was Cam Riley hurt? I don't recall hearing his name.

[jj3jordan 2,044]

Pec and bicep tears pop up regularly in college and the pros.

Not in large numbers but almost always season ending. Not sure how to prevent. 

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

9 minutes ago, AUINSY said:

Would our players ever get to a point where they don't want to injure themselves to protect their career with what appears to already be a lost coach/lost season? I wonder if players would start doing that earlier in the season prior to bowl games. Is that what happened with Calzada? I wouldn't blame them. I also don't see a bowl game in our future. 

Are you asking if players would fake injuries and have unnecessary surgeries because they no longer want to be on the team?

[AUINSY 2,228]

12 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Are you asking if players would fake injuries and have unnecessary surgeries because they no longer want to be on the team?

Not necessarily faking an injury or having unnecessary surgeries. Like if it's something they could play through, but since the season is not looking good, opt to do the surgery during the season to save themselves another season of eligibility. Like it still doesn't make sense to me why if Calzada needed a shoulder surgery, he was dressed for the game against Missouri. But since maybe he saw how much the O-line was struggling, he has 3 seasons of eligibility left, and maybe he has made the best long-term decision to go ahead and do the surgery now to avoid a blown season/getting more seriously hurt, even though he could possibly play through it now.

Or maybe a player who did not even have a surgery and just opt to not play the rest of the season out to save a year/season of eligibility. Not saying that's what happened with Eku, a torn pec muscle is a torn pec muscle and you likely can't do basic life movements with a torn muscle. Since CFB players started opting out of bowls a few years ago, I figured that may be the natural progression. CFB seems to have turned into more of a mercenary sport since NIL and portal changes took effect over the past few years.

Edited October 3, 2022 by AUINSY

[AUApostle 7,651]

[weagl1 1,782]

I hate it for the young man.  He has been one of our best defenders.  

[autiger88 3,777]

[Hank2020 3,196]

48 minutes ago, JOSEPHIAMLEGEND75@GMAIL.CO said:

Bragg played well....when he wasn't getting held! He's no Leota though. More than anything it kills an already thin position, as far as depth.

Definitely hurts.

[Hank2020 3,196]

40 minutes ago, AUINSY said:

Would our players ever get to a point where they don't want to injure themselves to protect their career with what appears to already be a lost coach/lost season? I wonder if players would start doing that earlier in the season prior to bowl games. Is that what happened with Calzada? I wouldn't blame them. I also don't see a bowl game in our future. 

I would certainly blame them.

[RunInRed 16,370]

Tough break

[AUINSY 2,228]

4 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

I would certainly blame them.

In a regular season, I would. Under what transpired at Auburn over the past 10 months I would not. 

[Hank2020 3,196]

Just now, AUINSY said:

In a regular season, I would. Under what transpired at Auburn over the past 10 months I would not. 

We certainly differ on that one.

[AUINSY 2,228]

4 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

We certainly differ on that one.

That's quite alright. As an example, Tank decided to stay at Auburn. I'm glad he stuck to his original commitment and he's still here as a viable, healthy, productive player. However, in doing so I believe he's hurt his productivity and draft prospects by staying here compared to going to a team that has a long-term coach and a solid O-line. Had he gotten injured in game 3 or 4 with, say a dislocated shoulder, I certainly would not blame the young man on getting healthy to protect his draft prospects. 

However, that's hypotheticals. Anyhow, it's a bummer Leota is now injured and out for the rest of the season. We definitely will be hurting next year if we don't do the portal right or get some solid recruits backfilling holes/gaps in our roster. I'm hoping we have a team to field by the year's/season's end. 

[Hank2020 3,196]

5 minutes ago, AUINSY said:

That's quite alright. As an example, Tank decided to stay at Auburn. I'm glad he stuck to his original commitment and he's still here as a viable, healthy, productive player. However, in doing so I believe he's hurt his productivity and draft prospects by staying here compared to going to a team that has a long-term coach and a solid O-line. Had he gotten injured in game 3 or 4 with, say a dislocated shoulder, I certainly would not blame the young man on getting healthy to protect his draft prospects. 

However, that's hypotheticals. Anyhow, it's a bummer Leota is now injured and out for the rest of the season. We definitely will be hurting next year if we don't do the portal right or get some solid recruits backfilling holes/gaps in our roster. I'm hoping we have a team to field by the year's/season's end. 

To me 3 things need to mesh ( be handled in same way):

-if coaches can be fired b4end of season, no reason why coaches that choose to, can’t leave b4 end of season (last regular season game).

-if coaches can choose to leave b4 end of season, or can be fired, players can choose to leave (or not play in anticipation of leaving) too.

a difference I see though Coaches and Universities are covered by contracts and players are not. But it would seem to me that if its OK for coaches/Universities, its Ok for players and should not be looked badly for it.

[DAG 33,958]

1 hour ago, AUINSY said:

Would our players ever get to a point where they don't want to injure themselves to protect their career with what appears to already be a lost coach/lost season? I wonder if players would start doing that earlier in the season prior to bowl games. Is that what happened with Calzada? I wouldn't blame them. I also don't see a bowl game in our future. 

[meh130 1,043]

Eku Leota at Northwestern (aka, "Bruce Banner Leota"):

Eku Leota at Auburn (aka, "Incredible Hulk Leota"):

Guy is a beast. My favorite defensive player this year. Loved the "Eku with yellow tiger eyes" in the hype video.

I hope it gets well, and gets an invite to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.

[meh130 1,043]

1 hour ago, AUINSY said:

Would our players ever get to a point where they don't want to injure themselves to protect their career with what appears to already be a lost coach/lost season? I wonder if players would start doing that earlier in the season prior to bowl games. Is that what happened with Calzada? I wouldn't blame them. I also don't see a bowl game in our future. 

Leota, if he had a flaw, was over-pursuit. He got burned a few times, but he also made some incredible plays. He got injured because he was trying to make something happen that was not going to happen based on where he was.

[JDUBB4AU 5,110]

Classy young man. Great player and teammate . Best of luck to him . Bragg it’s all yours