Cam Camper Eager To Return From ACL Injury, Could Have Snap Count Against Ohio State

Indiana coach Tom Allen expects Cam Camper to return to action in Week 1 against Ohio State after suffering a torn ACL last season, but he mentioned they could have a "pitch-count mentality" with the Hoosiers' 2022 leading receiver.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana will have its leading wide receiver available for the season opener against Ohio State, but how much Cam Camper is able to play is uncertain. 

Camper is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered Oct. 22 during Indiana's 24-17 loss at Rutgers. He began fall camp wearing a blue non-contact jersey, but Allen said Wednesday that Camper participated in live-tackling portions of recent practices, an important step in his readiness for Week 1 against Ohio State.

"I feel like he's ready to go and should be a game one starter for us and expecting him to play," Allen said. "Any time you have a guy like that, you always have a pitch-count mentality, but with regards to when he's out there, he should be full bore."

For Camper, taking off the blue jersey was a sense of relief after a recovery process that challenged him physically and mentally.

"It was a blessing," Camper said Monday. "It was right on time. I was really just glad to be out there playing with the guys again, obviously, because that's what I've been waiting on this whole time."

Cam Camper [6-2 WR, Indiana]
His 11-catch, 156-yard performance led the Hoosiers to a 23-20 win over Illinois on Friday night in Bloomington. pic.twitter.com/Fv5GemxBa8

— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) September 4, 2022

Camper said after his initial return to live tackling he was "nicked up a little bit, but it kind of just went away." After months working through this injury, he's become accustomed to the ups and downs, so feeling this way didn't concern the 6-foot-2 receiver.

He talked with a few former high school teammates who had also suffered torn ACLs, which gave him big-picture perspective on the recovery process.

"Some days I'd go in and I'd feel good, and then the next day would come around and I'd be like, 'Dang, am I going backward?'" Camper said. "But I just kind of figured that would come with the whole process, so I just wrapped my mind around it and kept pushing."

When asked if he's back to 100 percent, Camper said he's not quite there but can do pretty much everything in practice. It's important to him and the coaching staff to be smart about the injury and make sure he's safe when he takes the field. 

Camper recalled a moment toward the end of the first week of fall camp, about four weeks ago, when he felt like himself again. While he didn't notice it in the moment, Camper remembers watching film of a catch where he jumped off his injured leg, caught the ball, then landed on the same leg.

"Everything was fine," Camper said. "So after that I was like, 'I think we're good.'"

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Cam Camper (6) runs with the ball after a catch while Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Devon Witherspoon (31) defends in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into Indiana's season opener against Ohio State, scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium, Camper said he's unsure if he'll be on a snap count like Allen mentioned. Part of that is due to the up-and-down nature of injury recovery, so he thinks his availability will be best determined on game day.

"However I can help the team, I'm willing to do that," Camper said. "Whether it's playing with a snap count or I'm playing the full game, either way is fine."

Camper led the Hoosiers with 46 catches and 569 receiving yards in 2022, despite playing just seven games. He was recently voted a team captain by his teammates, so it's been important to him to help them get in the right mindset before game day.

Whether he's making the big plays – like he did in the 2022 season opener against Illinois when he totaled 11 receptions for 156 yards – or his teammates, Camper feels Indiana has talent throughout the wide receiver room.

"Every day somebody does something and we're like, 'That was sick,' and everybody is bringing their own juice," Camper said. "You've got [Donaven McCulley], he can make the hard catches on the outside. E.J. [Williams] is the same way. [Kamryn Perry] can take the top off the middle. [Andison] Coby, explosive. Omar [Cooper Jr.], makes every catch. So we've got everybody who's going to bring their own thing to the table."

But most of all, Camper is excited to return to the game he loves after months of recovery

"I just know it's going to be fun, especially with who we're playing," Camper said. "It's going to be fun out there, so that's kind of where my mind is. I'm not even really worried about who we're playing, I'm just glad to be playing football again."

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