NORMAL — Cole Mueller, the Illinois State football team’s leading rusher in 2021, was moving, cutting and accelerating like a healthy tailback would Tuesday as the Redbirds opened spring practice at Hancock Stadium.
That does not mean, however, that Mueller will be part of contact drills this spring.
“We’re not going to touch Cole,” ISU coach Brock Spack said. “He’ll be doing some non-contact, individual drills. But we’re not going to hit him.”
Mueller rushed for 977 yards in 2021, but suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle on his third carry in the 2022 opener at Wisconsin and missed the rest of the season.