'Ahead of schedule.' IU football WR Cam Camper expects to be ready Week 1 vs. Ohio State

BLOOMINGTON – Beyond the obvious, Cam Camper’s biggest obstacle in recovering from an ACL tear suffered 10 months ago has been time. Specifically, remembering he has plenty of it.

IU’s leading receiver last season stands among its most-proven playmakers ahead of this one, as Camper’s ahead-of-schedule recovery has him on course to be ready for Week 1 against Ohio State. In the intervening time, Camper found impatience his greatest frustration, his coaches slowing him down sufficiently to accelerate his recovery.

“The staff, they do a great job of keeping my head straight on everything,” Camper said after practice Monday. “Even though the season ended (shortly after the injury), I actually had time in reality. Basically, just doing what I can every day. Days I can go, I’m gonna go. Days I’ve got to pull back, I’m gonna pull back.”

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A transfer from Athens (Texas) Trinity Valley Community College, Camper settled quickly into the Big Ten in 2022. He led the Hoosiers with 46 catches and 569 yards, despite appearing in just seven games. Camper’s 156 yards in a win over Illinois set a program record for a Hoosier in his debut.

Now, the Hoosiers are breaking in a new quarterback. They have retooled an underperforming offensive line, and will need multiple young skill players to establish themselves, particularly at receiver and tight end.

Camper expects to be fully ready for the start of the season, which would hand coach Tom Allen proven production in an offense still mostly defined by potential. It also places onus on Camper, as a veteran, to lead the way in settling those quarterbacks in as best he can.

“I feel like just making sure I do something with them every day,” Camper said. “One day I’ll go with Tayven (Jackson), I’ll go with Dex(ter Williams), I’ll go with (Brendan) Sorsby. Every day, just make sure I do something with one of them.”

Of course, Camper has spent most of the offseason concerned first with himself.

After suffering the ACL tear in a loss to Rutgers in mid-October, Camper underwent surgery. He watched from the sideline as the Hoosiers transitioned from Adam Henry to Anthony Tucker at receivers coach, Camper limited physically through spring practice but able to lead with both actions and words, nonetheless.

“He’s highly invested in our program, highly invested in that room,” Tucker said Monday. “He does have a voice and a presence on our team. Our team respects him. He’s a leader in our room. But he had his own things he needed to work through and he’s been ahead of schedule on everything.

“That’s a tribute to who he is as a person and why he fits in our program so well, because he’s worked so hard to make his way back.”

With Indiana into its second week of fall camp and fully padded up, Camper still wears a blue jersey in practice to signify he should not be tackled. But otherwise he’s largely unhindered by his recovery.

“Right now, I’m going through practice as I would if I was not injured,” he said. “Every day, I’m taking good strides and I’m just focusing on making sure my technique’s good, and I’m just continue to pay attention to detail, watching my other teammates, see what they do. Right now, I’m just being a great learner, from everybody.”

With so much else unproven, Camper gives both Tucker and those quarterbacks something reliable to lean on. Even as he regains his sharpness after an extended absence, Camper provides surety to an offense needing it.

For Tucker — who actually first evaluated Camper when the former was on staff at Utah State — the Texas native has become indispensable.

“Cam’s been a great leader, great model in our room,” Tucker said. “Obviously, he’s made his way back, he’s worked really, really hard, and I’m really pleased with Cam.”

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football: Cam Camper ahead of schedule in return from injury