Norman, Okla. ? Adrian Peterson isn’t yet talking about it, but his teammates and coaches said Wednesday the Oklahoma tailback is eager to play football again for the Sooners.

Peterson, who suffered a broken collarbone while diving into the end zone for a touchdown in an Oct. 14 win over Iowa State, will return to the lineup for No. 7 Oklahoma when the Sooners play No. 9 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 1.

The junior resumed practicing with the Sooners on Friday but hasn’t spoken with reporters since then.

“He’s getting more and more snaps in there,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “The players are excited to see him back in there. He’s always been a great and strong team guy. The players have always appreciated how he’s worked and he’ll get more and more snaps leading up to it. It can only be positive.”

In six games this season, Peterson has rushed for 935 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Big 12 Conference champion Oklahoma (11-2) has won all seven of its games without Peterson to extend its winning streak to eight, but that doesn’t mean the Sooners aren’t looking forward to seeing him back in the lineup.

“It was exciting when he got back in the huddle (in practice),” quarterback Paul Thompson said. “It was very obvious when he got back in the huddle. Handing the ball off to him, it was like, ‘Man, AD is back.’ He’s hitting the holes quick. He’s explosive, and on the defensive side, nobody really wanted to get in his way.

“When he gets the ball he’s going straight ahead. If you’re in his way, that’s on you. That’s your problem.”

Since his return, Peterson has yet to experience contact in practice, which is by design, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.

But Wilson also said that Boise State’s plus-10 turnover margin gives Oklahoma coaches cause for concern, especially since Peterson has to once again get used to being hit.

“We’ve got to be smart as always with those backs, where you don’t hit them, but we’ve got to get him back to the physical side of things,” Wilson said. “Ball security is always an issue with guys that haven’t played, taking care of the football and respecting the ball.”

Wilson said ensuring Peterson’s conditioning is at its previous level also is an issue, although linebacker Rufus Alexander said he has few doubts that Peterson – whose nickname, “AD,” is short for “All Day” – will have problems with stamina.

“There’s no way he’s not going to get back into the flow,” Alexander said.