Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, suffered a right leg injury in the first quarter of the No. 8 Rebels' 21-7 loss against No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said after the game that Corral's X-ray came back negative and Corral's father, Peter Corral, told ESPN on Sunday that his son sprained his ankle.
The injury occurred on third down as Bears defensive end Cole Maxwell came around the edge and sacked Corral to push Ole Miss out of comfortable field goal range. Corral stayed down for several minutes and needed help to get off the field. He was ultimately carted off from the injury tent, and though ESPN's broadcast reported he was doubtful to return, Corral later appeared on the sideline on crutches.
True freshman Luke Altmyer -- a native of Starkville, Mississippi -- was inserted into the game in Corral's absence by Kiffin. A former four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Altmyer completed 5 of 9 passes for 18 yards in limited action this season, and he threw two interceptions against the Bears in New Orleans.
A junior, Corral previously declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. He is rated the No. 1 quarterback and No. 10 overall prospect on the CBS Sports Prospect Rankings. The one-time Heisman candidate completed 68.4% of his passes for 3,339 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions heading into the Sugar Bowl.
