Wolverines' Bryan Mone may be ready for Badgers

Ann Arbor – Michigan defensive lineman Bryan Mone has been practicing this week and could be ready to return Saturday when the Wolverines face Wisconsin.

Mone, who missed all of last season with an injury, was injured in the season opener against Hawaii and has not played since. Earlier this week, coach Jim Harbaugh said he was “hopeful” Mone would return for this game.

Defensive line coach Greg Mattison said Mone has practiced this week and the staff will make a decision about his availability by the end of the week.

“He’s been great,” Mattison said Wednesday before practice. “Bryan has given so much to this program and to this defensive line. He is so into that group. Our players respect him so much. For him to get the injury that he had and to watch him be another guy who has worked so hard at training and getting it back.

“Him being at practice this week has been exciting, and the guys, when they saw him come out with his pads on, they see him, they’re excited about that. That fires them up, because they love him. They like how he plays and what it means to them. It’s always good to have a guy like that back.”

Mone suffered a broken ankle in preseason camp last year and missed the entire season. He had the best camp “of anybody” this fall, Mattison said.

“The good news, we’ve got a whole season ahead of us,” Mattison said. “For him to come through that now, it’s different than it was last time. He’ll pick up right where he left off.”

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