Frustration only begins to describe Jonathan Crompton's first six months at Tennessee.

The freshman quarterback, like the rest of his teammates, has endured a 4-5 season. Crompton, a Parade All-American out of Tuscola, N.C., has been sidelined with a surgically repaired throwing shoulder and is redshiriting this season.

Crompton hasn't been able to throw a football since before his surgery on Aug. 10. All the while, he's watched UT's offense and its quarterbacks struggle.

Senior Rick Clausen and sophomore Erik Ainge have split time. UT's passing offense ranks ninth in the SEC and 81st in the nation.

Crompton is not available for interviews due to UT's freshman media policy but his mother, Janet, has kept a close eye on her son's trials and tribulations from the Cromptons' home in Waynesville, N.C.

"As an athlete he's very frustrated," Janet Crompton said. "He just can't wait to get out there and start throwing again."

Jonathan Crompton is diligently working his way back into throwing shape, according to the surgeon that performed his procedure, Dr. Richard Jones of Southeastern Sports Medicine. Crompton is set to start throwing a Nerf football in late December and a regular football in January.

Jones' recovery plan calls for Crompton to begin throwing with more velocity in February and be 100 percent by March, just in time for spring practice.

The procedure was performed to reattach Crompton's labrum. Doctors used five anchors to attach the torn cartilage. No further damage was found in the shoulder. All tendons, ligaments and the rotator cuff were intact and needed no reconstruction.

"He is doing great," Jones said. "He's doing as good as anybody I've ever had. I have no reason to think that he's not going to do well."

Jones said Crompton will have the expected soreness when he returns to the field. Doctors and trainers also expect he'll have to fine-tune his mechanics after the layoff. Jones said Crompton must also regain confidence in the shoulder.

But, will Crompton be able to throw a football after the surgery as well as he did before the procedure?

"That's fair to say," Jones said. "I certainly think that he has every opportunity to be that way. He's certainly on schedule. There are no absolutes."

One of the major concerns in Cromptons' rehabilitation was the possibility that he might overwork the healing joint. Crompton's strong work ethic has been well documented.

"He certainly is an aggressive kid but he's not a stupid kid," Dr. Jones said. "If you tell him something, he'll listen and he'll do it."

Most expect a healthy Crompton to be engaged in a battle with Ainge for UT's starting job when spring practice opens. It's easy to wonder what might have happened this season had Crompton not been forced to have surgery.

To some, the door of opportunity appears even more open in 2006 after Ainge's struggles in 2005. Janet Crompton is quick to point out that her son must still prove his merit on the field regardless of the competition.

"We feel the same way we felt when he signed," she said. "Nothing's changed. He's going to get out there and compete."