Tampabay.com
AUGUST 20, 2008

Wednesday morning practice update ...

Not too much from Wednesday's morning practice, where two of the seven freshmen held out Tuesday returned to practicing in helmets and pads.

Offensive lineman Danous Estenor and walk-on linebacker Chase Geaney returned to drills, though that doesn't necessarily mean they've gotten the green light from the NCAA Clearinghouse. Again, USF coach Jim Leavitt has said he expects all seven to be cleared and that the delay in their clearance is procedural.

The other five -- tight end Andreas Shields, linebackers Quavon Taylor and LaDre Watkins and cornerbacks George Baker and John Lejiste -- watched practice in jerseys and shorts.

Geaney's a good example of how this is really a logistical delay with the clearinghouse. As we told you back in June, the walk-on from Fort Lauderdale was accepted into Yale and Dartmouth and recruited by Harvard. He's at USF on a Bright Futures scholarship, with a 1280 SAT, so I don't think you have to worry about NCAA minimums ...

-- It looks as if junior Aaron Harris has established himself again as a starter at defensive tackle, as he was working with the first team again Wednesday. The second line? Sophomores David Bedford and Craig Marshall at end, with sophomore Terrell McClain and redshirt freshman Keith McCaskill.

-- Minor injury update, as walk-on linebacker Lucas Darr, a regular on special teams last year, is out of his walking boot, another step toward playing after spraining his ankle two weeks ago. Jeremiah Warren and Cory Grissom (edit. thanks) remain booted.

-- Have I mentioned for you video-game-roster junkies that long-snapper Mike Walsh is now wearing No. 47? He's the third long-snapper to switch to a thin, svelte smaller number this fall, joining Eric Setser (45) and Darryl Dudding (48). Walsh might have a double-numbering issue, as the redshirt freshman runs the risk of getting on the field with another No. 47 (Watkins), which would draw a flag ...

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South Florida Bulls fans, you've come to the right place: the USF Sports Bulletin blog. Tampa Bay Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin, and we invite your participation in the comments area.
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