Houston quarterback Case Keenum is doing well in his rehab from a torn ACL and should be ready to go when fall practice begins in August.
Coach Kevin Sumlin said in a phone interview Wednesday that he would defer to the doctors when it came to how much Keenum would practice. But he also noted that Keenum would be eased back in, and would most likely not participate both times on a day when there are two practices. Keenum still plans on organizing 7-on-7 drills with his teammates this summer, so that should help him get his timing back with his receivers.
There is a fine line facing Sumlin: He already knows what Keenum can do, but he also has to get Keenum ready to play in a game for the first time since he got hurt trying to make a tackle against UCLA on Sept. 18.
"Seeing the guy and how he’s competed over the course of the last three years, you’ve got a pretty good feel for what he can do," Sumlin said. "We’ve seen him at his best. It’s not like we’re evaluating a guy for the first time based on his injury. If it looks funny or he’s limping, practice wise we’ll be very cognizant of that. I don’t have the same concerns as I would have if it was a true freshman walking on the field."
Cotton Turner and David Piland took all the reps in the spring. Turner was the backup last season but broke his collarbone against UCLA and also was lost for the season. Though he is older, he has less starting experience than Piland, who was a true freshman when he was forced to play with Turner and Keenum out.
Sumlin said he would not have a decision on who would be the backup to Keenum until the first week of the season.
"We went from the least experienced quarterback team in the country to the most experienced in six months," Sumlin said. "They need to prepare to start. I told them, 'If you learned anything from last year, you never know what can happen.' The competition is pretty stiff right now. Those guys understand that. If anything came out of spring, our team has confidence in all those guys right now."