Former Oklahoma Sooners star just got the worst news he could have possibly asked for amidst an amazing rookie season
Former Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Gracen Halton broke his ankle Sunday while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Oklahoma Sooners have yet another former player in the NFL who’s been injured. Last season, it was then-rookie safety, Billy Bowman. Now, it’s rookie Gracen Halton.
Halton, selected in the fourth round, broke his ankle during San Francisco’s victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. He left the field on a cart, his left leg secured in an air cast. After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Halton will miss the rest of his rookie year. He wraps up his first season with 15 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery—an impressive output for a rookie lineman playing alongside seasoned veterans. And he’s just begun to learn from Deforest Buckner.
This is a devastating blow to the 49ers. It feels like they’ve got another player injured in every single game. That team has the worst injury luck in the league, and it’s every single season. Halton was not just a rotational player, either.
In fact, he was one of the better players on the defensive line this season, as a rookie. After the game, another former Oklahoma Sooners player, Trent Williams, said it was lucky it was just an ankle, not an ACL or something that could change your entire career. If there is any silver lining, that’s certainly one.
Sooners will be sending two more DTs to the NFL in the upcoming draft
Halton is an elite pass rusher with potential to be great in the run game. Yet David Stone has the potential to be elite at both. He’s having a decent season, too, and could end up being a first-round pick. Then there is Jayden Jackson, who is one of the best run stoppers in the SEC. He’s sure to be a high draft pick as well.
You hate to hear what happened to Halton. But at least it’s just an ankle. Next season we will be seeing him back and hopefully better than ever. And who knows, maybe the 49ers find a way to draft one of the two guys we just mentioned.
