Tennessee defensive lineman target Greg Emerson reportedly went down with a lower leg injury during one-on-one drills at The Opening Finals. It appeared to be quite serious at first, as Emerson was carted off the field by EMTs. This tweet from SB Nation Recruiting seemed to corroborate the severity of the injury:
Prayers up for Greg Emerson. I'm no doctor, but that looks like a serious lower leg or ankle injury. Freak injury for a great competitor. 🙁
— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) July 2, 2017
However, a subsequent tweet from Barton Simmons reports that a source close to Emerson says that he will need surgery for a dislocated ankle/fractured fibula but could be back sooner rather than later:
Spoke w someone close to Greg Emerson. Dislocated ankle/fractured fibula. Will need surgery but could b back as early as 4-6 wks. Great news
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) July 3, 2017
This is great news for Emerson, who’s a highly-touted recruit sought after by several programs. Tennessee does appear to be the current leader for his services, and he is probably their top remaining target as they try to firm up a stellar defensive line class full of in-state kids. Often you’ll hear that a recruit appreciates a school sticking with him through an injury that scares off other teams, so this is an opportunity for Tennessee to show Emerson that they mean what they say when they tell him how important he is to them.
Regardless of how his recruitment turns out, best of luck to Emerson in his rehab.