It’s a double player day with one coming back from injury.
Today we feature two players that are facing different challenges in their path to the field.
Antonio Stevens – Jr.
Nashville, TN (Battle Ground Academy)
6’2”, 200 pounds
Safety
2022 Projection: Reserve
Stevens had a promising debut as a true freshman, but it was cut short in the Nebraska game. He played in five games during the abbreviated 2020 season, but suffered a bad knee injury on a kickoff return against the Cornhuskers that ended up costing him the entire 2021 season.
That means the last time we really saw him was as the cart was taking him off of a cold Ross-Ade Stadium field in December 2020. He is now recovered and back, hoping to have a big role. There is even an opportunity at safety with the surprising departure of Marvin Grant to Kansas. Chris Jefferson and Cam Allen are the top two options there, but Stevens can be in the mix.
Hayden Parise – So. (RS)
Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst HS)
6’4”, 190 pounds
Wide Receiver
2022 Projection: Reserve
From what I can find Parise is an all-around solid athlete. He comes to us from Kansas City, where he did a little bit of everything for his track and field team. From what I can gather he was a walk-on that started at Purdue in 2020, but aside from his track profile there is scant information on his high school career.