Todd Blythe has a message for everyone worried about his status for Iowa State’s season opener.

“I’ll be good to go,” said the Cyclone wide receiver. “Don’t worry about me.”

Blythe suffered a knee injury in January, resulting in surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament. The freshman All-American has been forced to miss all of spring football while rehabilitating his knee, but has jumped head-long into his rehab.

“At the beginning of spring, right after my surgery, I was just sitting there [at practice] doing things like flexing my quad and working on my mobility,” Blythe said. “Now I have my mobility back and am back in the weight room doing squats.”

With mobility returning, Blythe said he has to be careful not to get too far ahead of himself.

“The way it feels right now, I feel like I can go out and run around and cut, because there is no pain,” he said. “It feels strong. Running up stairs and things like that, it feels fine.

“More than anything, I think they have to pull back on the reins and make sure I don’t do anything stupid.”

Blythe was named to the All-Big 12 second team by both the media and Big 12 coaches and was a second-team freshman All-American. He caught 39 passes for 833 yards and nine touchdowns.

Even though he will be back for the regular season, Blythe said he is having a hard time watching his teammates practice.

“It’s hard every day to go out there and watch spring ball,” Blythe said. “It’s something that you have to get used to, and I haven’t yet; I don’t think I’ll ever get used to sitting around and watching practice when I’m injured.”

When Blythe returns to the Cyclone lineup, he will be joined by Austin Flynn on the field. Flynn moved up to No. 1 on the wide receiver depth chart going into Saturday’s spring game, replacing sophomore Milan Moses.

“I’m really pleased with both of them,” said ISU coach Dan McCarney. “It’s a position that better be a strength of the team, and it became that last year.

“I’m really pleased with Austin’s development. I didn’t know he could pick it up that fast. We all knew he was a great competitor, but to run the routes, to be a blocker, to run with the ball after he caught it; he’s really got a knack [for the position].”

Even though he has been at receiver for a short time, McCarney said he sees Flynn as a natural for the position.

“He looks like a guy who has been playing the position for a couple years, not a couple weeks,” McCarney said. “He’ll get better and better because he has such pride. I’ll be really surprised if he isn’t making plays for our No. 1 offense Saturday.”

Flynn’s move to receiver has opened a hole at quarterback that is yet to be filled. Bret Meyer has all but cemented himself as the team’s starting quarterback, but the backup spot is still up in the air.

Neither player behind Meyer has taken a snap as a Cyclone quarterback, leaving the sophomore as the only ISU quarterback with game experience.

Junior Kyle Van Winkle moved to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, passing senior Terrance Highsmith, who moved back under center after spending last season at receiver.

“Coach Mac said none of the positions are safe,” Van Winkle said. “I’m just trying to get the No. 2 and then we can work from there.”