.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Kentucky linebacker Ryan Flannigan will miss Saturday's season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette with a lingering injury, the team announced Thursday.
Coach Mark Stoops would not disclose the injury, according to the Courier-Journal. He also said he had not yet determined who would replace Flannigan, a senior and the projected starter at weakside linebacker.
Senior Khalid Henderson, who has made 15 career starts, has reportedly been practicing with the first team throughout Flannigan's absence in fall camp, but true freshman Jordan Jones, a four-star recruit who enrolled early and took part in spring practice, has impressed of late, Stoops told the media.
"Jordan's looked really good. As a matter of fact, he had a couple of really good practices," Stoops said, according to the Journal. "He came back fresh and looked fast and really didn't look like he lost anything mentally. He's got good instincts, and he'll play quite a bit. We'll make a decision on the starter here (soon), but he'll play quite a bit."
Regarding Flannigan and his injury timeline, Stoops reportedly said: "If he (was) ready to play then he'd play. I don't make those decisions, and I don't influence anybody. ... I trust the doctors. That's out of my hands."
