Star UNC edge rusher Kaimon Rucker will miss the remainder of the Tar Heels’ spring practice season with an injury to his right middle finger, the program announced on Tuesday. Rucker had surgery on the finger on Monday and is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season in the fall.

According to Rucker, the injury is a ruptured tendon, and it occurred during Carolina’s game at Clemson last November.

“I’d just been playing through it,” Rucker said on Tuesday. “This was a procedure that was already in the making. It was just a matter of when.”

Rucker said he delayed surgery on the finger in order to get acclimated to new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ system. Collins, the former head coach of Georgia Tech, was hired to replace the outgoing Gene Chizik in early January. Carolina’s spring practice season ends on April 20 with the team’s annual Spring Game in Kenan Stadium, which is open to fans. The team will not meet in an official capacity again until fall preseason practice.

“This is something that I definitely was upset about at first,” said Rucker, who estimated his recovery would take two to three weeks. “Nobody likes surgery. Nobody likes setbacks. But I changed my mindset a little bit. I didn’t see it as a setback. It’s just an elongated timeout.”

In 2023, Rucker started all 13 games for the Tar Heels and led the team with 15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 12 quarterback pressures. Rucker also notched a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a pass break-up. He was named second team All-ACC.

 

Featured image via Eli Melet

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