ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines leads his team on the field before the start of their game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Michigan's defense suffered a huge blow with this starter suffering what looks like a season-ending injury

It appears that the Michigan Wolverines will be short-handed on defense for the rest of the year.

Just a few days ago, Michigan defensive back Jeremy Clark was anointed as one of the best players in the Big Ten at his particular position.

Now, unfortunately, it appears that the Wolverines will be without Clark for the foreseeable future and, potentially, the rest of the 2016 season.

Clark, in the midst of a 49-10 blowout victory over Penn State, was injured on special teams in the fourth quarter, as the 6-foot-4 athlete suffered a non-contact knee injury. While Clark was likely in line to lose a bit of playing time with the return of All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis, this remains a huge blow for Michigan's defense, as the schedule begins to increase in difficulty with haste beginning next week.

Few teams in the country are more set up to withstand a high-profile injury to a top-flight defensive back than Michigan (with Channing Stribling, in addition to Lewis), but in the same breath, Jeremy Clark is a rising star for the Wolverines. We will await confirmation as to the official severity of Clark's injury, but all signs point to a torn ACL, and if that is the case, "Michigan Men" everywhere will be waiting until 2017 to watch Jeremy Clark on the football field.