Top recruit Shane Morris has mono

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Michigan quarterback commit Shane Morris (Warren, Mich./De La Salle), the No. 26 player in the 2013 ESPN 150, has contracted mononucleosis, jeopardizing the final five games of his senior season.

Morris was hospitalized for treatment Wednesday and was expected to stay overnight. The nation's fourth-ranked quarterback couldn't finish the game on Saturday, won't play this weekend, and said he "has no clue" about whether he'll play again this season.

Dr. Benjamin Wedro, a board-certified physician, believes the virus could prevent the signal-caller from returning to the field.

"The infection can sap your strength and weaken you for four to six weeks, making it tough to practice to play," Wedro said. "Many non-athlete college kids lose a semester recuperating because they are too tired to attend class."

Wedro also said the virus could lead to injury if football is reintroduced too soon.

"A complication of mono is spenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen, where the spleen gets big enough that it can be felt in the abdomen below the protective border of the left lower rib cage," he said. "Those patients need to avoid all physical contact because the spleen is at risk for injury, fracture and rupture."

Michigan's top-ranked commit also decided to suspend his Twitter account during this time. He had gained attention from fans and rival fans after hearing of his illness.

"I didn't delete it. I just suspended it," he said. "I need to rest while I have mono and I didn't want anything distracting me. I'll be back on."

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Tom VanHaaren | email

Reporter, WolverineNation

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• Reporter for WolverineNation
• Covers Michigan Wolverines recruiting
• Joined ESPN in 2011