COLUMBIA, MO. -- Mizzou receiver Jerrell Jackson, the team's leading returning pass catcher from a year ago, is expected to start on Saturday against Illinois. It's a surprising turnaround for Jackson, who was expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the season after breaking a bone in his wrist and having surgery.

"We really thought it was going to be four to six weeks," Jackson said Monday, "but I healed pretty good and I think I can play this game."

Jackson still has a cast on his left wrist, and he has yet to catch any balls without it. He rated its status a 7 or an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, saying he was fine moving his fingers but still lacked stability in his wrist.

"Just a great recovery, and he'll play with a small cast on his hand and has really done just remarkably well," coach Gary Pinkel said. "Just could never, ever predict that a guy could do what he's doing out there."

Jackson's speedy recovery means some of Mizzou's untested young receivers won't be pushed into the battle just yet. Mizzou's top three receivers on the depth chart are Jackson, T.J. Moe and Wes Kemp. Freshmen Bud Sasser and Marcus Lucas are down to third on the depth chart, keeping alive the chances they could be redshirted. When Jackson got hurt, Moe was moved to the No. 1 spot at the H, or inside receiver. Moe will keep that spot and Jackson has been moved to No. 1 at X, or outside, receiver, ahead of L'Damian Washington. Pinkel said that by moving Jackson outside, it allows the team to get its three best receivers on the field.

Cornerback Munir Prince, who temporarily lost the feeling in his extremities after a hit in Mizzou's scrimmage on Thursday, is out of the hospital and walking around, though when he'll play next is unclear.

"What they're going to do is give him an MRI, catscan, redo those tests in a couple weeks, then sit down with the medical staff, his family and myself and discuss his future," Pinkel said.

Pinkel later described his fear upon seeing Prince on Thursday.

"I didn't see any movement. None," he said. "And I was absolutely frightened. Scared to death."

With Derrick Washington out, Kendial Lawrence and De'Vion Moore are listed as equals on the tailback depth chart. Moore had missed practice last week with an ankle/toe injury and Pinkel said he hoped Moore would be 100 percent, though Moore put himself at 80 to 85 percent.

Pinkel said that James Franklin, who won the backup QB job behind Blaine Gabbert, would get some playing time.

(Vahe Gregorian of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report)