SAN JOSE — Jared Leaf and San Jose State won’t get the inspirational moment they had hoped for this season.
Leaf’s collegiate football career is over, coach Ron Caragher said Monday after his weekly news conference. The fifth-year senior linebacker who survived life-threatening burns in an apartment fire last year has not recovered from concussion symptoms suffered in August.
Caragher doubts Leaf could successfully petition the NCAA for a sixth year.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound player from Martinez has not been with the team since the week before the season opener after suffering a head injury during practice.
Caragher described the injury as a freak accident.
“It wasn’t helmet to helmet,” he said. “It was just a hit in practice.”
The Spartans had hoped their linebacker would appear this year for the first time since his redshirt freshman season in 2012, when he was a running back and special teams player for Hawaii.
Leaf had to sit out in 2013 because of NCAA transfer rules when returning to the Bay Area. Then he missed last season while recovering from second- and third-degree burns suffered in an apartment fire near campus in April 2014. Leaf ran through a blaze to escape a burning building.
Leaf, a communications study major who also acts, returned to full-time training in fall camp and looked to start the season opener before the injury.
“He’s frustrated,” Caragher said. “He put in a lot of hard work” to get back to the team.
The junior had an MRI exam Monday.
“It’s very tender right now,” Caragher said. “That will be a challenge to us. He brings a lot to the table.”
Winston had three catches for 18 yards Saturday against New Mexico before suffering his injury in the third quarter. He has 35 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns.
Caragher said Winston’s loss gives the team a chance to showcase redshirt freshman Justin Holmes.
The Cougars (6-2) also have a bye week to prepare for the Friday night game.
Instead of preparing for BYU, it’s bye this week, Caragher said.
“It’s not an off week,” the coach added.
The team is scheduled to practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then take a break. San Jose State will resume its regular training schedule starting Sunday.
Caragher’s chief concern is ensuring the passing game’s timing and rhythm stays sharp.
“We’ve been in a rhythm since Aug. 4,” he said, referring to the start of fall camp.
Coaches also plan to focus on kickoff coverage, one of the Spartans’ biggest issues this year. But the staff saw improvement in the 31-21 victory over New Mexico last weekend.
San Jose State also will shift out of the mindset of defending against the triple option run that it faced in New Mexico.
BYU has a pro-style passing game behind freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum, who took over when Taysom Hill was lost for the year to a foot injury in the season opener against Nebraska.
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow him on Twitter at .
Nov. 6 game
BYU (6-2) at San Jose State (4-4), 8:30 p.m. CBSSN
