The Iowa football program got a big injury update on running back LJ Phillips Jr. on Monday.
According to a report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports, it is believed that Phillips suffered a high ankle sprain in the Hawkeyes' 40-0 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday. Phillips limped off the field near the end of the first quarter and didn't return to the game.
Iowa running back LJ Phillips suffered what’s believed to be a high ankle sprain this past weekend against Northern Illinois, sources tell me and @chris_hummer.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 7, 2026
Transferred to Iowa after running for 1,920 yards last year at South Dakota State. Iowa plays Iowa State Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Uzy3Nm5nEC
High ankle sprain recovery times can be tricky to evaluate. Depending on
the severity of the sprain, a player can miss anywhere from 2-12 weeks. A recovery timeline for a typical high ankle sprain usually falls in the 4-6 week range. If that's the case for Phillips, he could be out until Iowa's bye week, which falls in just over six weeks. That would mean he misses all three games against Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington.
Before the injury, Phillips had four carries for five yards in the game. Last season at South Dakota, he rushed for 1,921 yards and 19 touchdowns. There should be more updates on his timeline when Kirk Ferentz speaks to the media on Tuesday.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: CBS shares injury update on Iowa football RB LJ Phillips Jr.
