It looks as though Randy Gregory will likely be back on the field for Nebraska this Saturday, but that doesn't mean the star defensive end's knee injury is completely behind him just yet.
Gregory said he would "take it slow" on Tuesday in his return to practice, and that his knee was 90 to 95 percent healthy.
"It's all mental right now," he said, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Gregory injured his knee on the Cornhuskers' first defensive series of the season against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30. He subsequently underwent arthroscopic surgery and missed last week's game against McNeese State. Coach Bo Pelini described his status for this week's game against Fresno State as "probable."
"Anytime you can add a player of his ability back into the mix it makes you better," defensive coordinator John Papuchis said, per the World-Herald. "It's good to have him back. He didn't do a lot of stuff (Tuesday), but he was out there moving around really well."
After notching 10.5 sacks and earning All-Big Ten Conference honors as a sophomore last season, Gregory gave limited thought to entering this year's NFL draft. Instead, he opted to return as one of the nation's elite pro prospects as a pass rusher. The decision came in part because he wanted to add some size in the offseason after playing last year at 240 pounds (Gregory is now closer to 250). He has two years of college eligibility remaining, but could choose after the season to declare for the 2015 draft.
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