Stanford RB Hit With Tough Health News

Stanford running back E.J. Smith's season is over.

Head coach David Shaw announced that the rising rushing star for the Cardinal will miss the rest of the 2022 campaign with an undisclosed injury he suffered against USC.

"I don't think there's an option for him to continue (this season). He's got to get his body taken care of. Trust me, he wishes it was not this way. He told me last week, 'Coach, I can't wait to play against Oregon. I'm going to be there for you. I need to get back in there.' But the doctors are right and it's wise for him -- both now and for his future -- to get this taken care of and come back in '23 bigger, faster, stronger," Shaw explained to the media according to ESPN.

E.J. Smith will miss the rest of the season. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

E.J. Smith was off to a hot start in 2022.

This is a tough break for the Cardinal because it certainly looked like E.J. Smith was cementing himself as the face of the rushing attack for David Shaw's team.

In the only two games he played this season, he rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns. That was more yards and touchdowns than the junior running back had previously rushed for in his career.

Now, with the Cardinal sitting at 1-2, Smith's year is over. You never want to see anyone get hurt, and that's even more true when a young man off to such a hot start goes down.

E.J. Smith out for the year with an injury. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The good news for E.J. Smith is he can return for more football with Stanford. He can take a redshirt this season, burn his COVID year from 2020 and still have three years of eligibility remaining once he returns to the field.