It was a tough road from September to now for OL Jalen Rivers.

In his first starting role last season, the then-second year lineman suffered a season-ending knee injury in Game 3 and is only now returning to 100 percent.

Before he was sidelined, coaches were saying Rivers looked like the team’s most consistent lineman, and after getting back into practice last week he’s now back working in on a limited basis with the ones at guard.

“I’ve been recovering since the surgery in September, and it’s been going great,” Rivers said after the team's Thursday practice. “I’m almost 100 percent, will be cleared (for full contact) soon where I feel comfortable and confident in my game.

“If I didn’t do spring I would have been a year without full contact.”

Rivers gained some weight as a side-effect of not being able to run due to the injury but is now back where he wants to be.

He currently weighs 332 pounds.

“I’ve been rehabbing, fell off a little, but not that far behind,” Rivers said. “I made sure to do a lot of upper body, and when I could build lower body tried to build back to where I was.”

He started at left guard last year and graded out at 53.5 percent overall per Pro Football Focus; in 2020 as a freshman in seven games off the bench he graded out at 62.9 percent.

Rivers is one of several returning linemen with past starting experience, a list that includes tackles Zion Nelson, John Campbell and interior linemen Jakai Clark, Justice Oluwaseun and DJ Scaife.

Rivers has practiced at left and right guard for limited practice "thud" reps over the last week.

“We’re all cross-training, there’s no definite spots right now,” Rivers said. “I plan on playing left, but we’re cross-training right now, left and right.”

Rivers is working with new OL coach Alex Mirabal as well as head coach Mario Cristobal during practices.

“The techniques I’m being taught, slightly different but it’s manageable and we’re learning it very well,” Rivers said. “It’s kind of different but not that different - we’re all getting it down pat.”

Rivers added of Mirabal that “He’s a great coach, great teacher, great person. He’s pushing us to be the best. There’s no favorites. It’s improve and be the best player w can be. Big emphasis on physicality, just pushing us every practice. It’s never enough, he wants us at our full potential. Everyone is responding great. He’s a great teacher, I’m impressed.”