Ryan Dunleavy

@rydunleavy

PISCATAWAY – A season-ending injury to a second running back wasn’t enough to keep Rutgers coach Kyle Flood from taking another one off the depth chart.

Flood announced Monday that senior running back Savon Huggins, who has not played or practiced since the end of last season due to a shoulder injury, will miss the rest of the season, and that true freshman running back Josh Hicks is being tried at free safety this week during the bye.

“We’ve been monitoring Savon Huggins’ progress and he is not going to return this year,” Flood said. “He’ll be a medical redshirt for this season.”

Because he played as a true freshman, Huggins will be a redshirt senior next season. If he graduates, the Jackson native and one-time top recruit in the state out of St. Peter’s Prep will have the option to transfer to another school and be immediately eligible, but Flood said he expects him to return to Rutgers.

Rutgers already is without its starting running back as Paul James suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee two games ago, but the running game is in the hands of Desmon Peoples and Justin Goodwin and now emerging No. 3 option Robert Martin as he is no longer competing with Hicks for that spot.

Neither Huggins nor Hicks was available to the media after Tuesday’s practice.

“I think Savon has done a phenomenal job of mentoring these two young running backs -- and now it will be one that’s left in there,” Flood said. “P.J. has added to that since his injury. It’s always good to have somebody to speak to who has been in your shoes, who has had to play as a freshman and has been through that process. It’s a complicated thing to play a lot of football as a true freshman.”

Hicks, who has played in each of the last five games on special teams, has two kickoff returns for 60 yards and six carries for 24 yards -- all against Howard -- on the season. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Hicks played defensive back and running back at Palmetto High School in Florida.

“It was a topic that came up with his high school coach because Dave Marino really felt like Josh was an extremely talented running back but also felt like he would be a talented defensive back, too,” Flood said. “I always kept it in the back of my mind. I love Josh as a tailback, but right now we just have more of a need over there.”

With free safety Delon Stephenson limited by injury and Andre Hunt getting banged up against Michigan, Rutgers turned to the offensive well for secondary help again. Over the last 1 1/2 seasons, Rutgers temporarily moved wide receiver Ruhann Peele and halfback Justin Goodwin to cornerback, and wide receiver Vance Mattheews remains at cornerback after being moved there two weeks ago.

“It was something I brought him in to talk to him about (Sunday) and much like Justin he said something very similar: He just wanted to get on the field and help the football team with as many reps as he could in the game,” Flood said. “I felt good about that the entire time.”

Flood stopped short of committing to the move as permanent.

“I think what we’ll do is we’ll evaluate it at the end of the week and see how we feel about it,” Flood said. “Just based on the overall health of that position group and the depth of the running back position group we think it’s a good time to invest some reps in a very talented player who is already playing for us on special teams and see if he can add something to us on defense.”

The door is now open for Martin, who has four carries for eight yards in four games. Flood previously said it was difficult to put either Hicks or Martin ahead of the other on the depth chart.

“He’s going to get more reps because of it,” Flood said. “I think it puts a little bit more on Robert because now if there is a reason to play third back we know who the third back is going to be. It won’t be a running back-by-committee back there. He’ll be the next guy in the game.”

Staff Writer Ryan Dunleavy: rdunleav@gannett.com