Justin Hilliard suffers from an injury to the Achilles indefinitely

COLUMBUS – Justin Hilliard's career in the state of Ohio is suspended again.

The former five-star linebacker who had previously treated various bicep problems preventing him from exploiting his high-end potential will be on the set again with the Buckeyes after suffering an injury to Achilles last week during spring training. Sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Hilliard could aim for a return in the middle of the season, and the senior posted social media photos of an operation scheduled for Monday morning.

Ohio State confirmed that Hilliard had undergone a medical procedure at Lettermen Row on Tuesday.

Hilliard has just finished his most productive campaign with the Buckeyes, finishing with 20 tackles and a tackle for the loss while contributing mainly to the special teams. Hilliard, one of the team's most popular players, was widely praised for how he continued to fight against all the adversity that characterized his engagement with the program and prevented the dynamic athlete from responding to dizzying expectations its recruitment St. Xavier in Cincinnati.

"It was really good to make some meaningful shots," Hilliard said in the middle of last season. "I have been training for that for a while and I felt really good to be there to help the team.

"I do not want to be known as the guy who got hurt. But that's my story. "

Another chapter of this book is now written for Hilliard, and he obviously could not arrive at a worse time for the veteran who was entering his last season with the program.

Ohio State is considering all possible options to reorganize the linebacker unit which has experienced a lot of difficulties in recent seasons. Hilliard's athleticism and versatility in good health would make it a useful option for the defense.

Instead, Justin Hilliard will have to recover from his injury.