Michigan Wolverines tight end Jake Butt suffered an apparent knee injury during his team's 33-32 Orange Bowl loss to the Florida State Seminoles, and head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed after the game that the senior is dealing with either an MCL or ACL tear, according to the Blade's Kyle Rowland.
Butt left the game after he suffered an apparent right leg injury in the second quarter, although he was able to walk off the field under his own power before he was escorted back to the locker room for further testing.
For Butt, the injury could have serious short- and long-term implications. However, he tweeted after the game that he didn't have any regrets about suiting up:
A heralded draft prospect who shined with the Wolverines to the tune of 43 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season, Butt projected as a late first-round or early second-round selection, according to CSN Chicago's Mark Schanowski.
"Butt's greatest strength is probably his strong, magnet-like hands, which can clamp down on throws and secure the catch even in the most contested scenarios," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "In fact, he's fearless in the middle of the field and seems to thrive when working in traffic over the middle and near the red zone."
With a lengthy recovery likely ahead that figures to affect his availability at the NFL Scouting Combine and the predraft workout process, Butt will have to hope his overall body of work trumps Friday's injury in the minds of prospective employers.
Read more Big Ten Football news on BleacherReport.com