With the rookie cap and entry level deals structured the way they are, there really isn't much incentive for an NCAA player to push it to free agency. On the contrary, they should want to sign as soon as possible to start the clock ticking to having arbitration rights.
It sucks to see his year end like this but this is a high speed, contact sport, and sometimes guys get hurt. That's just reality. He's young - he'll heal, train hard all summer, and be ready for either our camp or Michigan's. I'd be pretty surprised if he doesn't turn pro.
As an aside, I am not convinced that "burning a year" by playing a couple of games at the end of the year is the big player advantage many think. Let's look at Wolanin - he did the whole burn a year thing, but now his next contract is going to be based on a pretty thin body of work. With one more season under his belt, his next contract would have been a bit richer. It's a double edged sword for the player...