Oregon star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu suffered a severe knee injury during the Ducks' practice Tuesday and will miss the rest of the season, coach Mark Helfrich confirmed Thursday.
The senior is the cornerstone of Oregon's secondary and has already received numerous All-American team spots as well as being a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the country's top defensive back. He had 63 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups this season.
Senior defensive back Dior Mathis, who spent the spring and fall battling with Troy Hill for the corner spot opposite Ekpre-Olomu, will likely move into Ekpre-Olomu's spot for the second-ranked Ducks' College Football Playoff matchup with No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl.
Ekpre-Olomu has a $3 million loss of value insurance policy, which has been paid for by the University of Oregon, a source with knowledge of the arrangement told ESPN.
If he slips in the NFL draft because of this injury, he will begin collecting money at the beginning of the second round. If he slips past the beginning of the third round, he would receive all $3 million.
Ekpre-Olomu's injiury was earlier reported by Yahoo! Sports.
