Academic problems will keep junior quarterback Carlton Hill from being part of USF's football team this fall, but coach Jim Leavitt still hopes he can return to the Bulls in 2008.

"We hope he could get here in January or by next summer," Leavitt said. "He still has a scholarship at South Florida. That is always going to be there for him."

Hill, who had worked at three positions in three weeks of preseason drills, had not practiced with the team since the fall semester started Monday. Leavitt had said he would have redshirted this fall, and the plan now is for him to attend classes this fall at a junior college, likely Hillsborough Community College, so he can earn his associate of arts degree. Once he's done that, he should be able to return to USF and would still have the same two years of eligibility remaining.

Hill had rejoined the Bulls last month after attending Pearl River Community College last fall, helping his team to the junior college national championship game. He played sparingly as a true freshman in 2005 after coming to USF as one of the program's most highly touted recruits.

Leavitt also said outside linebacker Chris Robinson, who has missed three weeks of practice with an ankle injury, will not play in Saturday's opener against I-AA Elon.

"I don't think we'll play Chris right now," Leavitt said. "It wouldn't matter who you play, whether we were playing the New York Giants. If the guy's ready, you play him. If he's not, you don't. He didn't look ready to me today, and he hasn't been getting any of the practice reps."

Junior Tyrone McKenzie will start at strongside linebacker, with redshirt freshman Sabbath Joseph as the top backup.