Two-and-a-half weeks before its season is set to kick off, Northwestern has been dealt a devastating blow. Northwestern announced Tuesday that running back Cam Porter and offensive lineman Zachary Franks each suffered lower-body injuries that will keep both out for the entirety of the 2021 season.
Porter’s absence means even more turnover from 2020 for an NU team that was already set to welcome plenty of new faces to the lineup. According to ESPN writer Bill Connelly’s SP+ model, the ‘Cats return just 34% of their production from last season, a calculation made before accounting for the loss of Porter.