Kirby to Miss the Remainder of the 2015 Season

Juwon Young's role on the Miami Hurricanes just got a lot bigger.

Senior LB Raphael Kirby is out for the season per the school.

Young played very well in the second half of yesterday's win over Virginia Tech.

UM will need a lot more of that in the coming weeks.

In talking to Coach Golden tonight, Trent Harris and Terry McCray would be the next two players to play the "Mike" position behind Young.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Kirby, who should still get a long look by NFL Scouts when he recovers.

Full Release (Courtesy UM):

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami football team announced today that senior captain Raphael Kirby will miss the remainder of the 2015 season after suffering a lower extremity injury during the Hurricanes’ 30-20 win over Virginia Tech.

"We are tremendously disappointed for Raphael Kirby," said head coach Al Golden. "He is the true definition of a leader on the field, in the community and in the classroom. His commitment to our team and our goals has been unquestioned over his career and he will be sorely missed. We will support Raphael through his recovery as we continue to lean on his leadership for our team. "

Kirby has started in 19-consecutive games dating back to last season. He currently leads the team in total tackles with 44.

Prior to season, Kirby was among 51 players named to the preseason watch list for the 2015 Butkus Award, honoring the nation’s top linebacker.

Kirby entered the fall as one of the team’s most experienced veterans. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native finished 2014 with 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.