By now, you’ve probably heard or read that MU receiver Danario Alexander will undergo surgery to repair the graft used to rebuild his torn ACL in December. The graft, taken from a human cadaver, tore during workouts last week and subsequently sets Alexander’s return date back to at least October.

But what’s that old saying, when one door closes, another door opens? Well, step on through Jared Perry, it’s your time to shine.

During the spring season, no receiver impressed more than the junior-to-be Perry. He was catching the ball with confidence and looked every bit the player that earned honorable mention freshman All-American status two years ago. The only problem with Perry’s reemergence this spring was a logjam in the receiver starting lineup. That problem is now gone.

No one wants to see a player get hurt. Especially one like Alexander, who has tirelessly been rehabbing to get back on the field by the Labor Day opener against Illinois. And this has to be especially painful for Perry, who knows his opportunity back into the starting lineup comes at the expense of his roommate.

But honestly, Perry’s earned it.

After a dismal sophomore season that saw him catch just 13 passes for 152 yards, Perry reaffirmed his commitment to Mizzou and was one of the few players to stay on campus to work out during spring break instead of partying with friends.

“I feel that I need to start stepping up right now because this is my best opportunity to do it,” Perry said during a spring interview with the Post-Dispatch. “I had a bad season last year. I just knew from the last scrimmage I had one bad play and I wanted to come in and start changing stuff after spring break.

“I took a backseat roll last year and I lost a lot of confidence. Now, I think I’ve got my head on straight.”

Perry’s sophomore season was in stark contrast to his freshman campaign where he grabbed 37 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns.

Missouri’s 2008 season has already started. Veteran players have been working out for the last week, and freshmen arrive on campus this weekend in preparation for their workouts beginning Monday.

The door is open for Perry to recapture his former self. All he has to do is decide whether to walk through.