After sustaining a right ankle injury and undergoing surgery late last season, Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had a strong offseason.

Fitzgerald recovered well, and when he took the field on the first day of fall camp for the Bulldogs on Friday, he was pleased with how everything felt.

“I think it just took the first time running back in February or whenever it was just to kind of get back to it,” Fitzgerald said while meeting with the media after practice. “Out there, the first rep, I kind of pulled the ball in a drill, took off full speed and it felt really good. The hits will come, but I’m back before that happens.”

Fitzgerald said that his ankle still “feels tight from time to time,” but that it’s “nothing crazy by any means, just very reasonable, very manageable.”

In order to have a successful season under new coach Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State will likely need a strong season from its senior quarterback. Fitzgerald’s season ended early last year when he sustained the injury during the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss on Nov. 23, 2017.

Moorhead said that Fitzgerald was a full participant in camp on Friday. The Bulldogs don’t plan to have any quarterbacks live during camp, but Fitzgerald did everything that the other quarterbacks did.

“No. 1, he looks healthy,” Moorhead said. “His drops were clean. His run-game footwork was good. We went against scouts, didn’t go against each other, but he was moving around well. No signs of any lingering issues.”

Fitzgerald is entering his third season as Mississippi State’s starter. Last year, he passed for 1,782 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing 984 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Mississippi State opens its season on Sept. 1 against Stephen F. Austin, which will be the first time Fitzgerald plays a game since undergoing surgery.