photo by: Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire (Courtesy of Big 12)

Kansas Jayhawks running back Velton Gardner (0) tries to stiff arm Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive tackle Amadou Fofana (97) during a run in the fourth quarter of a Big 12 football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Kansas Jayhawks on October 3, 2020 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)

After missing seven Kansas football preseason practices, junior running back Velton Gardner finally made his camp debut on Friday. But running backs coach Jonathan Wallace said the team’s leading returning rusher, who had been sitting out with an undisclosed injury, didn’t have the appearance of someone playing catchup.

“He looked really good. He’s moving around really well, looked like he hadn’t missed anything at all,” Wallace told reporters after Friday’s practice.

Despite Gardner’s late start and the KU staff having to limit some of the other running backs due to various dings or issues over the first week of camp, Wallace left the team’s latest practice upbeat.

“We’re always excited to have our full group out there. Especially for Velton to be able to get back out there,” Wallace said.

A 5-foot-9, 199-pound junior from Dallas, Gardner led KU in rushing in 2020, even though he only appeared in six games. Gardner averaged 4.5 yards per carry and totaled 325 rushing yards to go with two rushing touchdowns before he missed the final three games of his sophomore season due to an injury.

He averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a true freshman in 2019, when he opened the season behind both Pooka Williams and Khalil Herbert on the depth chart. Gardner is considered by Wallace to be a change-of-pace back within a deep running back group. Sophomore Daniel Hishaw Jr., true freshman Devin Neal, redshirt freshman Amauri Pesek-Hickson and Gardner all could factor into what the Jayhawks do offensively this season under new head coach Lance Leipold and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

Wallace described Gardner as a “very, very quick twitch” skill player for the offense and said he even could be effective within the passing game.

“He brings some good things, not just from a run standpoint, but also from a passing standpoint, as well,” said Wallace, who added Gardner could create some mismatches against linebackers and some safeties in certain scenarios.

Last season, Gardner only caught six passes for 18 yards. As a freshman, when he appeared in 10 games, Gardner had six receptions for 24 yards.

Gardner’s best game for the struggling KU offense in 2020 came in the season opener, when he ran for 81 yards and a touchdown versus Coastal Carolina.