Gophers lose electric freshman Ryan Estrada to season-ending injury

Brutal news for Gophers true freshman running back Ryan Estrada, who suffered a season-ending injury in Minnesota's season-opening 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois last Thursday. 247Sports first reported Estrada's injury, and the Pioneer Press has since corroborated the news. Estrada sustained the injury when he was tackled from behind early in the fourth quarter after catching a pass from backup quarterback Max Shikenjanski and running for 11 yards. The training staff appeared to be working on his left leg, which was rolled up beneath him when a defender wrapped him up above the shoulders and dragged him to the ground. Estrada appeared to be Minnesota's No. 3 running back behind Darius Taylor and T.J. Thomas. His injury could put Xavier Ford in line as the third tailback, with Jaron Thomas and Niko Castillo next up if anyone else goes down. The NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule means Estrada's freshman season is wasted. Medical redshirts are no longer allowed, so he'll enter next year as a sophomore with four years of eligibility remaining. Estrada is the second- or third-highest-rated running back recruit in Gophers history, depending on how you look at it. Darrell Thompson, a Gatorade All-American, is probably the highest-rated running back recruit in Gophers history, but he played before recruit rankings were popularized. The only other running back ranked higher than Estrada is Jeff Jones, who was a high-level four-star recruit out of Minneapolis Washburn in 2014. Recent 2026 Texas commit, Ryan Estrada, could become one of the highest-ranked running backs to ever sign with Gophers football. pic.twitter.com/BH73uMy1X7 Estrada graduated from El Dorado High School in El Paso, Texas, where he ran for 7,633 yards and 95 touchdowns. He's statistically the most productive running back in El Paso history, as his numbers surpassed those of Aaron Jones, who grew up in El Paso and now plays for the Vikings. This article first appeared on Bring Me The Sports and was syndicated with permission.