Defenders won’t be bringing down J.J. Bass on Saturday.

The senior running back won’t be participating in Saturday’s annual spring game for unspecified reasons.

“He won’t be playing,” said Cyclones coach Gene Chizik when asked about Bass’ status for Saturday’s game.

Chizik declined to elaborate on any reasons that Bass would be held out of play.

Bass, a 6-foot-1-inch, 206-pound junior college transfer from Altamonte Springs, Fla., was second on the team in rushing yards with 462 on 123 carries and made four touchdowns.

A shoulder injury kept Bass out of action for most of the second half of the 2007 season.

Transferring from El Camino Community College, Bass was listed third on the Cyclones’ spring depth chart at running back behind senior Jason Scales and sophomore Alexander Robinson. Bass, however, was not at practice Sunday during the Cyclones’ team scrimmage, but the ISU directory indicates he is still enrolled at Iowa State as a communications studies major.

When asked about the regular season status of Bass, running backs and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware declined to comment.

“You’ll have to talk to coach Chizik,” Boulware said.

Bass was unavailable for comment.