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Daniel Jones injury: Northwestern Wildcats CB out for season after injury vs. Cal

Northwestern's pass defense was questionable before an injury to Daniel Jones. Now, Northwestern's No. 2 cornerback is done for the year.

By Rodger Sherman
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Brutal news for the Wildcats, as Northwestern's starting cornerback Daniel Jones will miss almost the entirety of the 2013 season after suffering an injury in the season opener against California. Pat Fitzgerald announced the junior will undergo knee surgery in his Monday press conference.

If there's one position where Northwestern couldn't afford many injuries, it was probably cornerback. Nick VanHoose is very solid on one side, but the very fact that Jones, who struggled mightily as a sophomore in 2012, was playing as the starter on the other side was an indicator of how poor Northwestern's depth was.

Next up for the Wildcats is Dwight White, a redshirt freshman who got more or less torched by Cal's Jared Goff in his first game as a Wildcat, allowing a 52-yard touchdown grab to Cal's Chris Harper as well as several other big plays. He'll have to learn on the job, and fast, if Northwestern wants to avoid further 450-plus yard passing performances as the year goes on.

C.J. Bryant should also be in the mix. True freshman Matt Harris, whose shirt was burned in Game 1, is day-to-day. Jarrell Williams is the only other non-true freshman scholarship guy at CB, so, there really isn't much in the cupboard.

If there's a silver lining, it's that Jones will presumably pick up a medical redshirt and have a second junior year next year.

NU only missed five starts due to injury last season, among the lowest in football, and, as we've said, that was a big part of why they were able to stay healthy. That number will be at least 11 this season, and could obviously rise every week. Their depth will be tested.

Kain Colter and Venric Mark are apparently day-to-day, per Coach Fitz in the presser, which means nothing.

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