There is no word on the seriousness of Hampton's right knee injury; however, there is talk he may be forced to red-shirt this season and opt for surgery
Big rumors are swirling in Iowa City. There is chatter that the Hawkeyes’ star RB Jewel Hampton is contemplating red-shirting the 2009 season. Earlier in the summer, Hampton went down with a right knee strain which was subsequently injured during the preseason a few weeks ago.
If his right knee doesn’t improve, he will have no other choice but to go under the knife. If he opts for knee surgery, he would be forced to sit out his sophomore season leaving a big gap in the running game.
The reason for continued speculation, Hampton has not been seen practicing and there is no word if he will play in the season opener against Northern Iowa.
Hampton is the Hawkeyes replacement to NFL bound Shonn Greene. Last season, as a true freshman, he rushed for 463 yards averaging 5.1 yards/carry and set a freshman record with 7 TDs.
If Hampton is out, freshman Jeff Brinson will have to fill a huge void.
