For the second straight season, James Madison will be without the same defensive lineman it had high hopes for.

On Saturday, Dukes coach Curt Cignetti announced redshirt junior defensive end Isaac Ukwu suffered a knee injury that will force him to be sidelined for JMU’s spring campaign.

Ukwu missed all of last year after he tore his ACL, partially tore his MCL and partially tore his meniscus in his left knee during a 2019 training camp practice.

“It’s a big loss,” Cignetti said. “It’s just, ‘2020, here we go again.’ It was devastating news.”

This injury is to Ukwu’s opposite, left knee, according to Cignetti.

“His other knee, non-surgical knee,” Cignetti said, “and initial assessment was it didn’t look too bad, was pretty stable and not much swelling, but the MRI showed a tear so he’ll have surgery Monday.

“I feel so horrible for him. The other knee injury was very significant and required a lot of rehabilitation and it was hard for him. He was really playing well and moving around well. This one we didn’t think was much, but the MRI showed different and he was disappointed. But I give him credit. I think he took it about as well as anyone could take it. He wanted to have the surgery as quick as possible, so that he could be ready [next] fall.”

In an interview with the DN-R ahead of JMU beginning its fall practices, Ukwu said he was so eager to return to the field and possibly fill a starting role. Through the first few practices, he was lined up as a first-team defensive end.

And while Cignetti knows the unfortunate prognosis for Ukwu, he said he’s also waiting for one on redshirt freshman linebacker Taurus Jones.

Cignetti said Jones hurt his knee on Saturday in the team’s scrimmage.

“He was playing unbelievable football,” Cignetti said. “He’s a guy that hurt his knee his junior year in high school and this is the other knee. Hopefully if he has to have surgery, then we can get him back in the fall, too.”

Jones was a candidate to play significant snaps this spring at linebacker.