CoShik Williams suffers torn labrum; out for year

Senior running back CoShik Williams is out for the season with a torn labrum in his hip, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips announced on Wednesday. The injury likely ends his career.

Williams entered the season as the starting tailback, but had been banged up since the first game. He suffered a back injury in the season opener against Louisville and missed the next game against Kent State. He returned against Western Kentucky, but suffered a hip strain in that game and hadn't returned since.

He finishes the season with 14 carries for 69 yards along with four receptions for 20 yards.

Junior tailbacks Jonathan George and Raymond Sanders, who had been playing with Williams out, will receive most of his snaps. True freshman Dyshawn Mobley will also see increased playing time.

Freshman tailback Justin Taylor hasn't played this season and is expected to redshirt, but could play if another running back is lost to injury. The Wildcats are already without sophomore Josh Clemons, who hasn't played this season while recovering from a knee injury suffered in 2011.

"If something should happen to one of those guys and we think he can get the type of reps we think we can get (Patrick) Towles, we'll play him," Phillips said. "Otherwise, we won't play him."

He led UK in rushing yards as a junior Clemons, then the starter, was lost for the season to a knee injury in midseason. Williams had 118 carries for 486 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.

He arrived at UK as a walk-on in 2008 thanks to a connection to former UK cornerback Trevard Lindley. The two were high school teammates at Hiram High School in Georgia. Williams redshirted that year and played sparingly in 2009, but worked his way up the depth chart to become the starter last season. He finishes his UK career with 170 carries for 738 yards and seven touchdowns.

Williams is the second offensive starter to be lost for the season this week. Sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his ankle on Monday and is unlikely to play again this season.

It's the second season in a row Kentucky has lost its starting quarterback and starting tailback to injury for the season. In addition to Clemons' injury, quarterback Morgan Newton suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2011.

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