After missing half the season due to injury, it appears DeVante Parker is set to make his 2014 debut.
Monday, Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino confirmed that his star wide receiver has been medically cleared to return to the practice field. In even better news, Petrino said there’s a “good chance” Parker will play in Saturday’s game against Clemson.
Parker suffered a broken bone in his fifth metatarsal in his left foot during a late-August practice and has missed the first six games of the year. The initial prognosis was for the receiver to miss 6-8 weeks, so Parker’s right on track to hit the optimistic portion of that projection.
With Parker out, and with Teddy Bridgewater being replaced, the Cardinals’ passing game has failed to fire on all cylinders for most of the season. Both Will Gardner and Reggie Bonnafon, who have each started games this season, have completed just over 56 percent of their passes; Bridgewater completed 68 and 71 percent of his passes in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
The return of the dynamic playmaking Parker will certainly help the cause.
Last season, the 6-3, 211-pound Parker ended the year with 55 receptions for 885 yards and a school-record-tying 12 touchdowns. The last three years, Parker’s led the UofL in touchdown receptions. The last two, he’s led the team in both receptions and yards as well.
He was widely regarded as one of the top receivers in the country prior to his injury and after foregoing early entry into the NFL draft and returning for his senior season.
