When Chico Bennett Jr. stood up from a Virginia football team talk following practice and his knee stiffened, no one knew exactly what to think. The senior Bandit had navigated injuries before in his career, including a surgically repaired ACL, but this was not only a non-contact issue, it seemed to come out of nowhere too.

Bennett limped around practice on crutches initially and waited for test results. The Cavaliers got a bit of good news on that front as game prep begins to pick up steam for the season opener against Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 2. The doctors found bone fragments that had lodged into a spot that caused swelling.

With those fragments surgically removed, Bennett was up and walking around at practice Monday. There is no official timetable for his return, but he had to be inactive for 10 days following the surgery. He could be available for the opening game in Nashville if his movement and conditioning hold following that 10-day pause.

“It will all progress as his knee stops swelling and he can get himself ready to play,” Elliott said. “I don’t have a timeline in particular, but I know after 10 days I’ll be able to tell you better because we’ll be able to turn him loose and see where he’s at.”

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