Lounging in a chair in the corner of the Penn State media room, Penn State tailback Tony Hunt quietly and succinctly answered questions about his return from an Orange Bowl high-ankle sprain.

Asked about the healing process in the offseason, Hunt said, "Just rehabbing it. That's pretty much it," without going into further detail.

On the field, his performance during Saturday's Blue-White Game was almost as quiet as his demeanor afterward -- he played in only one series, carrying the ball only four times for 20 yards to lead the Blue team in rushing. Though quiet, it was not unnoticeable.

Playing in the first public setting since he was injured in the first quarter of the Orange Bowl, Hunt highlighted his return with an 11-yard scamper in the first quarter. Then just two plays later, he broke free for 13 yards, leading the Blue team to the goal line, proving his ankle can support the running game.

"My ankle's doing OK," he said. "It's a lot better now. I feel better running on it after an injury like that."

Though the rising senior did get caught in the backfield once for a 6-yard loss by rising sophomore safety Anthony Scirrotto, his return answered more questions than it left.

Before the annual spring scrimmage, it wasn't clear how much of a workload Hunt was carrying in the spring, but Hunt said he's been practicing regularly, except for times when his ankle starts to bother him.

After the game, rising junior center A.Q. Shipley said he's happy to have a healthy Hunt behind him.

"He's doing great, he really is," Shipley said. "He's running hard, he's running tough like he always does. That's the thing you gotta love about Tony, he's always going to lower his shoulder and give you 100 percent."

Rising sophomore wide receiver Jordan Norwood echoed Shipley's praises.

"He's had a great spring, he's running around, running over people," Norwood said. "He's a great running back, and he'll continue to work hard all summer, just go right through the season same way he did last year, hopefully a little better."

Hunt, who rushed for a team-high 1,080 yards and six touchdowns last year on his way to a second-team All-Big Ten selection, may have to do just that.

With the departed Michael Robinson leaving the Nittany Lions with the less mobile rising junior Anthony Morelli as quarterback, the team has said runs once designed for Robinson will now go to Hunt. The increased role hasn't fazed Hunt.

"They go to somebody, they got to go somewhere," Hunt said of the extra running plays. "[Assistant coach Galen] Hall told us at the beginning of the spring that we would have to pick up the slack a little at a lot of different positions. So, it's just what we gotta do."

Battling for playing time behind Hunt for next year are rising redshirt sophomore Rodney Kinlaw and rising senior Austin Scott. Kinlaw rushed for only nine yards on six carries yesterday, and Scott did not play because of a sprained medial collateral ligament sustained earlier this spring.

When asked how much time Scott would see next year, Hunt kept true to his quiet demeanor, not offering any answers.

"I can't tell you anybody who's going to play next year," he said. "I couldn't tell you if I was gonna play."