James Washington Placed in Walking Boot, Expected to be Back for Iowa State

One of the most undertold storylines coming out of Bedlam was the absence of Biletnikoff Award frontrunner James Washington late in the game.

No. 28 finished the game on the sidelines instead of the turf due to a banged up ankle, which unofficially ushered in the Tyron Johnson era. But Mike Gundy said on Monday that he expects him to be back at practice in the coming days, meaning he’s likely to play on Saturday.

“James (Washington) got banged up a bit and we booted James and will pull him out tomorrow or Wednesday to try and get him back into practice, but Tyron is the next guy up and he made plays,” said Gundy.

The absence of Washington was undeniably missed in the gameplan, despite the surprise emergence of Johnson. Before he left the game, No. 28 led the team in receptions (7) and total receiving yards (128). He’s far-and-away the team leader in yards receiving this season, and having him on the sideline versus the field had a big impact on what OSU could do offensively against the Sooners, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said.

“He is such a special player,” said Yurcich. “You are going to feel that impact. I think we did a great job. I think Tyron did a great job and the guys that came in and moved around. I wouldn’t sit here and tell you that we didn’t miss a beat. The impact of James is significant because of how dynamic of a player he is and what he can do.”