MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A follow-up exam confirmed former four-star recruit Brendan Ferns requires shoulder surgery, an injury expected to sideline West Virginia’s backup linebacker for the rest of the regular season.
Coach Dana Holgorsen said the injury robs the Mountaineers of a top special-teams player. It also creates additional strain on starting Mike linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton, who could use a blow against the Big 12 gauntlet of uptempo offenses.
Ferns was injured while taking on a blocker during a second-quarter kickoff at Kansas on Saturday. He missed all of 2016 after tearing an ACL in the preseason.