Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, arguably the top tight end in college football, broke his pinkie finger in practice Monday and will need surgery to repair the injury, Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian said Tuesday.
Sarkisian did not know an exact timetable for Seferian-Jenkins' return, but admitted it could be "quite awhile." Sarkisian is holding out hope that the preseason All-American could return in a few days, but will not know for sure until later in the week.
After only two seasons at Washington, Seferian-Jenkins already holds the school records for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end. Last season, Seferian-Jenkins had 69 receptions for 850 yards and seven touchdowns and was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award presented annually to the top tight end in the nation.
Seferian-Jenkins was reinstated to the team last month following the resolution of his arrest in March on a DUI, but Sarkisian did not say if Seferian-Jenkins would be suspended for any games, including the Aug. 31 season opener against Boise State. Depending on how much time Seferian-Jenkins needs to recover from the injury, any internal debate by Sarkisian could be rendered moot.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
