Missouri star Henry Josey: 'Good chance' I'll play this year

Missouri running back Henry Josey, trying to come back from a gruesome knee injury, ran sprints Friday and told the Columbia Tribune “there's a good chance” he'll play this season.

The speedster's return would be a boon for the Tigers in their debut SEC season: he ran for 1,168 yards and nine TDs last year while averaging 8.1 yards a carry, second in the nation.

Of course, players always are overly optimistic about their timetables for a comeback. Coach Gary Pinkel called Josey's return “difficult.”

Still, it's clear Josey has progressed rapidly after tearing his ACL and MCL and rupturing his patellar tendon last November against Texas. He's able to cut without feeling pain, which he called “a real test.”

Josey doesn't want to take a redshirt year after rehabbing intensively all summer.

The Tigers certainly will start the season with Kendial Lawrence and Marcus Murphy as their top tailbacks. Lawrence actually won the starting job last year, only to crack his fibula in practice after the first game. That cleared the way for Josey's breakout.

Lawrence returned to finish strong, running for 371 yards and three scores in the last four games.

If Josey is able to return at some point this fall, Pinkel will have a tough decision on whether to keep the redshirt on. The explosive 5-10, 190-pounder has two years of eligibility remaining.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Daniel Lewis and Larry Hartstein, follow @CBSSportsSEC.