Jabrill Peppers injured, ruled out of Orange Bowl

Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) runs drills during NCAA college football practice, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, in Miami. Michigan plays Florida State in the Orange Bowl Friday. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Jabrill Peppers gave Michigan a little of everything this season.

He had nothing to give the Wolverines in the Orange Bowl.

The star linebacker - one of 15 positions the school gives him credit for playing this season - was a late scratch from No. 6 Michigan's lineup when the Wolverines faced No. 10 Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Friday night. The school said Peppers was injured during the week, though he was on the field warming up about an hour before the game.

And now the question becomes whether he has played his last game for the Wolverines. Peppers is widely tabbed as a potential first-round pick if he decides to enter the NFL draft early.

''He's the ultimate team player,'' Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier in December when asked about Peppers. ''Our teammates appreciate him for that and we're really happy for his success.''

Michigan did not disclose the nature of Peppers' injury, but ESPN cameras in the Wolverines' locker room captured footage of him grabbing at his left hamstring before the game. Peppers also moved somewhat gingerly at times in warmups, favoring his left leg while trying to move around as coaches kept a close eye on him.

A pair of marquee college players - LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey - decided to sit out their teams' respective bowl games this season, protecting themselves from injury before embarking on their pro careers. It was unclear if that was a factor in the decision to keep Peppers out of the Orange Bowl, or if his leg problem simply was severe enough to keep him off the field.

Peppers was fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting this season. He won Big Ten player of the year honors as its top defensive player, top linebacker and top return specialist.

But he was kept out of the spotlight in the days leading up to the bowl game, which was peculiar given that he was one of the country's top players this season. Peppers was not made available to reporters during the week, including at a Wednesday news conference when the school told Orange Bowl officials shortly before that session that he was not coming.

It's the second straight year that Peppers has missed a Michigan bowl game because of injury. He had 72 tackles this season, returned 21 punts and 10 kickoffs, had 27 carries and even caught two passes.

''Somebody asked me the other day how to describe Peppers. He's a football player,'' Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. ''When you look up the definition in the dictionary, you see football player. The guy can run, he can tackle, he can throw, he can catch, he can block, there's nothing he can't do. Be a special teams threat, be an offensive threat, be a defensive threat, all phases.''