NORFOLK, Va. — As the Old Dominion University football team gets set to be back at home at S.B. Ballard Stadium for the first time in three weeks, they will be without their best defensive player.
Monarchs head coach Ricky Rahne announcing on Monday at his weekly press conference that senior All-American linebacker Jason Henderson will be reshirting and miss the rest of the 2024 season. Rahne noted the door is still open for him to come back, but they're not rushing him.
The 6-1, 225-pounder led the nation in tackles/game at 14.2 last season.
Asked how he was holding up after the decision, Rahne said, "Like anybody else, he's a competitor", and added "It's tough for him so it's one of those situations, he wants to be out there with his teammates".
Henderson suffer a knee injury in the team's season finale against Georgia State. Rahne talked about how his linebacker's rehab isn't like everyone else's and that, "He's still working through some things".
Sophomore linebacker Koa Naotala has stepped in for ODU in Henderson's absence having racked up 47 tackles, good for second on the team.
The Monarchs face Texas State on Saturday at 3:30pm.