Add safety Patrick Nelson to list of Illini with torn ACLs

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This offseason has been brutal for the Illini on the injury front, and that's especially true for the incoming freshman class.

Freshman safety Patrick Nelson, a Chicago native and Hales Franciscan product, tweeted Wednesday night that he tore his ACL in practice.

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Nelson was rated as a three-star prospect out of high school and was one of the highest-rated recruits in this year's Illini class.

His comment about next season seems to imply that he'll miss the entire 2015 season, and that makes sense given the type of injury.

Nelson joins fellow freshman Dre Brown on the injury list. Brown, the running back out of DeKalb, was also one of the higher-rated members of Illinois' recruiting class. He tore his ACL prior to the Illini's spring game. At the time, head coach Tim Beckman said he anticipated a quicker recovery than most.

Additionally, sophomore wide receiver Mike Dudek tore his ACL during a practice. Arguably the Illini's best player, his loss hurts the team's prospects for the upcoming season the most. Initially, though many considered it wishful thinking, the Illini announced Dudek could return by October.

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Dudek tweeted his support for Nelson on Wednesday:

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