Yes, for the third straight day, Christian Ponder did not take the field with his Florida State teammates in preparation for Saturday night’s game with Clemson.
However, it appears there’s a little more optimism surrounding his availability than there was earlier in the week.
Ponder underwent a medical procedure Monday to drain fluid from his right (throwing) elbow, and had a drain inserted into the joint. The drain is expected to be removed Thursday morning, and there’s a chance the quarterback could resume practicing later in the day.
“It looks like he may get to sling it around tomorrow,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said following Wednesday’s practice. “We’ll wait around tomorrow and see.”
Fisher also intimated that, even if Ponder didn’t practice before the Tigers game, he could still start this weekend. EJ Manuel has taken all of the snaps with the first-team offense during Ponder’s absence, but Fisher said he’s still not ready to name the redshirt sophomore as his starter.