FORT COLLINS — After being held out of most team work in practices during preseason drills because of groin muscle issues, All-American wide receiver Rashard Higgins is back to near full participation.

The Rams have a Saturday afternoon scrimmage at Hughes Stadium, and it’s possible Higgins still will be held out of that, but he seems on track to be ready. All along, coach Mike Bobo has portrayed Higgins’ limited work as precautionary.

“Injury is just a little setback for a major comeback, is how I see it,” Higgins said after the Rams’ Friday morning practice. “I’m healing, I’m getting back right. I’m a little rusty right now and, man, I can’t wait for that first game. I’m just getting back in that groove. I think I was a little out of shape and winded today, but that will come with time.”

CSU named redshirt sophomore Nick Stevens the starting quarterback last week, and with that job comes the responsiblity of getting the ball to Higgins, the Rams’ major playmaker.

“Who wouldn’t find me?” Higgins asked with a smile.

He added, “I have all the faith in Nick. If coach Bobo is going to name him the starting quarterback, Nick has to be the leader on the team, the role model, set examples. He’s smart. He knows every read. He knows where to check the ball to.”

Higgins said he isn’t going to be preoccupied with looking too far ahead, perhaps to declaring for the NFL draft after his junior season.

“A lot of people have been asking me about that, but I’m still thinking about school,” Higgins said. “I’m still thinking about school, still thinking about that degree. If the times comes, and my mom and I make the right decision, then that’s what we’ll do.”

He said he still enjoys the campus atmosphere.

“I love it,” he said. “I went to a carnival yesterday and all the freshmen were here. Everybody was back in town. Fort Collins was beautiful last night and I wish I could have gotten a picture of it.”

At media day last week, Higgins admitted that he had dodged Bobo’s first call after the former Georgia offensive coordinator had been hired as the Rams’ coach.

“A week after I met him, he brought it up again,” Higgins said. “He said, ‘Yeah, Rashard, you were scared to talk to me!’ I just smile every time he brings it up. It wasn’t that I was scared, I was a little nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, what to say, so I’d rather meet him in person than on the phone.”

Brandon Boles: 970-867-5651, bboles@fmtimes.com twitter.com/FMT_Sports