COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ It wasn't even a hit that ultimately led to the end of Trevor Knight's season.
The A&M senior quarterback first injured his shoulder last weekend against Mississippi State diving for a touchdown. He was taken out of the game, only to return later in the second quarter to give it another shot with his team trailing.
But by the second half, he was wearing shorts and a shoulder sling. Now, it looks like Knight's career at Texas A&M could be over.
Knight will miss the rest of the regular season with the shoulder injury, A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said during Tuesday's news conference. Sumlin said the fifth-year senior could "at best" return for the Aggies' bowl game. Junior Jake Hubenak will start for the Aggies (7-2, 4-2) in this Saturday's home game against Ole Miss (4-5, 1-4).
"If there was a bright spot from Saturday, it was how he approached everything and really gave us an opportunity in light of really how we played and gave us an opportunity to win the game," Sumlin said.
Along with Knight, Sumlin said junior reserve cornerback Noel Ellis (groin) and starting offensive guard Connor Lanfear (knee) will also be out for the year with injuries.
Hubenak's only prior collegiate start came in last year's Music City Bowl, after quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen transferred.
Hubenak played the entire second of half of A&M's upset loss that effectively ended any chance the Aggies had of landing a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Georgetown native completed 11 of 17 passes for 222 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
He came in for Knight after the Oklahoma graduate transfer landed on his shoulder after a 19-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the first quarter.
Knight returned for one drive in the second quarter before he was dragged down on the Mississippi State sideline after he ran out of bounds. Sumlin said he sent film of the play, which drew no ruling from officials, to the SEC office.
A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said Knight sprained a shoulder joint.
At one point in the second half, Hubenak walked over to Knight, who was wearing a coach's headset. The two motioned with their hands, as if diagramming receiving routes, while Hubenak was tasked with leading a comeback that fell short on A&M's final drive.
A&M junior running back Keith Ford, who played with Knight at Oklahoma, complimented the quarterback's ability to bring energy to practices despite battling various injuries over the years.
"That's the kind of leadership we need, especially at his position," Ford said.
Knight also gave A&M a viable running option. He ran for 583 yards and 10 touchdowns this season in addition to throwing for 1,911 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
This year was Knight's first as a starter since the 2014 season, when he started at Oklahoma. He started 10 of 13 games before losing the job to Baker Mayfield. Mayfield finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting last season.
Ford said Knight called them about possibly playing together again. Then in January, Knight came to College Station and filled the void for a program in desperate need of a starter.
A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said he wasn't giving a eulogy on Knight, even though it may have felt like it. Mazzone said Knight will still be a leader of the team, even if he's trading his helmet for a headset.
"Now he's just going to be Coach Knight for a few days," Mazzone said.
