HUNTINGTON -- Although he would prefer to reserve judgment until after the season opener, Albert McClellan is back.

"You could say that," McClellan said with a big grin Wednesday, when he continually wreaked havoc in Marshall's backfield during 11-on-11 team drills in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

It was, everyone agreed, his best performance since preseason practice started Aug. 5.

"He looked like Albert again," Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said. "Our experienced tailbacks were having a hard time blocking him.

"(First-year defensive coordinator Rick Minter) is doing some good things with him mismatch-wise. He looked good today. He's the one guy who stood out to me."

The 6-foot-2, 252-pound McClellan was a quarterback-sacking, tailback-tackling stud two years ago, when he was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.

McClellan had 77 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 12 games that season. He ranked sixth in the nation in tackles for loss, seventh in sacks and 10th in forced fumbles.

But McClellan suffered a season-ending injury -- a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee -- during a preseason practice last summer.

His official return will occur on Aug. 30, when Marshall welcomes Illinois State of the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) to Edwards Stadium for the teams' season opener.

His unofficial return, however, occurred Wednesday.

McClellan said something inside of him "just clicked overnight."

"Today was the best day mentally and physically," said McClellan, a 2006 all-conference first-team selection from Lakeland, Fla. "I felt pretty good. No hesitation. I was just going. It felt good to just go."

So, was Wednesday the return of the old McClellan? Or, better yet, was it the debut of the new-and-improved McClellan?

"I'll probably have to wait until game day to answer that question," the smiling superstar said.

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JUNIOR QUARTERBACK Wesley Beardain returned to the team in Wednesday's second session.

Beardain had missed seven practices in six days while he dealt with personal issues in his hometown of Winona, Miss.

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JUNIOR KICKER Craig Ratanamorn provided the play of the day during the second session, when he booted a kickoff from the 30-yard line to the end line in the back of the end zone.

That is a jaw-dropping 80-yard kick.

The Voice of the Herd voiced his approval while he watched from the press box.

"This guy," Marshall play-by-play announcer Steve Cotton said of Ratanamorn, "is just ridiculous."

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REDSHIRT FRESHMAN center John Bruhin didn't wear an orthopedic boot Wednesday, but he also didn't practice.

Instead, Bruhin worked with strength and conditioning coach Mike Cochran on the sidelines along with the Thundering Herd's other injured players -- junior tight end Maurice Graham, junior cornerback Zearrick Matthews, junior wide receiver Chuck Walker and sophomore cornerback Pete Culicerto.

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MARSHALL WILL practice once today and twice Friday.

Fans can watch the Thundering Herd's first scrimmage of preseason practice Saturday, which also will be a Choose-A-Seat Day at Edwards Stadium. Fans who want to buy season tickets can look for available seats and talk with Marshall Ticket Office personnel starting at 10:30 a.m.