More on Mauk

Quarterback Ben Mauk said he was disappointed in the NCAA’s decision to deny him a sixth year of eligibility but remains optimistic that he will be running the UC offense next fall.

“I’m excited,” he said, “becaus now we start a new process and I actually get to talk to the NCAA instead of writing letters. I get to actually let them hear my voice and let them know who I am and why I deserve a sixth year. I think that will be a big help. Now I get to let them know every little detail. I think that will be a big help when you hear someone’s voice and actually hear the story come from them.”

Mauk, who was denied a sixth year because the NCAA said there wasn’t enough documentation of the injury that he says forced him to be pulled from competition during his redshirt freshman year at Wake Forest in 2003, is in the process of appealing that decision to a six-member Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.

He will have 10 minutes to address the committee by phone. Four of those members will have to rule in his favor in order to get the decision overturned. No date has been set for that hearing.

Mauk arrived at Wake Forest shortly after having surgery to remove a screw in his toe. The screw had been placed there during surgery he underwent after breaking his leg during his freshman year in high school.

As a result of that surgery, he says, he was unable to play to his maximum ability at Wake and therefore should be granted another year.

But the documentation for any treatment he received for that injury at Wake or for any decisions that removed him from competition does not exist, according to UC compliance director Maggie McKinley.

“Wake didn’t have anything in their records about followup care for that foot,” McKinley said. “They didn’t have anything that said Ben couldn’t participate because of that foot.
“They said we have these notes but they weren’t anything like what we thought they would be. The documentation that supported it pretty much ended on June 12, which is when he reported for summer school.”

Mauk said today that he was on Wake’s traveling squad until about the midway point of his freshman year, but was removed before the trip to Florida State because of his injury.
But he said he doesn’t blame Wake Forest for not having the documentation.

“I don’t blame Wake Forest at all,” he said. “That’s one of the things that kind of gets you between a rock and a hard place. I’m not somebody that complains. I always try to bounce back as fast as I can from any blow that life deals me. Looking back, if I would have complained and been a crybaby this wouldn’t be such a problem. But because I was trying to be tough and tried to push through an injury and overcome it, I almost feel like I’m being penalized for that.”

UC-Xavier baseball tonight

After knocking off XU, 13-7, at Xavier on Tuesday, the Bearcats will face the Musketeers again tonight at 6:30 at Marge Schott Stadium on the UC campus. UC is 26-17. XU is 19-24.

Mauk request denied

For the second time in the past 2 1/2 months, the NCAA has rejected UC quarterback Ben Mauk's request for a sixth year of eligibility.

Mauk's original request was denied on Feb. 12 when the NCAA ruled that his redshirt year as a freshman at Wake Forest in 2003 precluded him being granted a sixth year in which to complete his four years of eligibility. Mauk, who had thought the year in question would be 2006, when an injury in the season opener ended his season, then submitted additional information regarding an injury that hampered his ability to play in 2003. The NCAA rejected Mauk's latest request, based this time on a lack of contemporaneous documentation from Wake Forest regarding that injury.

According to UC, Mauk will appeal the decision to the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, which consists of athletic directors, faculty representatives and conference commissioners. A 2/3 majority is required for that committtee to overturn the decision.

"This is just another step through the NCAA process and nothing out of the ordinary," UC coach Brian Kelly said in a release. "The Mauks will continue to work through it. The next step in the NCAA process will give Ben his first opportunity to speak directly with the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee."

UC has already submitted the appeal.

No Mauk ruling expected today

There was a feeling around UC yesterday that the NCAA would make a decision on Ben Mauk's status today. But apparently that's not going to happen. I just talked to Mike Harris in the SID office and he said that no resolution is expected today, after all, but that one is expected within the next 48 hours. Is it a good sign for UC that the NCAA is still analyzing the situation instead of merely rejecting Mauk? Perhaps. This must be nerve-wracking for Mauk and his family and, of course, for Brian Kelly, who understands better than anyone what Mauk's presence could mean for his team in the fall. If Mauk can play, it could mean the difference between UC being a Top 25 preseason pick and not being ranked at all.

Harrison Big East player of the week

UC junior second baseman Josh Harrison today was named Big East player of the week after a week during which he hit .619 (13-21), including 10-for-10 in a 3-game series vs. Louisville. Harrison, from Princeton High School, also stole six bases in seven attempts, scored 8 runs and drove in 5.

Kelly likes Grutza - sort of

So spring practice is over and as of now, Dustin Grutza is UC’s starting quarterback. But will he be when the games begin to count next fall?

Obviously, if Ben Mauk gets a favorable ruling from the NCAA, Mauk will be the quarterback.

But if he doesn’t?

It’s almost amusing to listen to Kelly attempt to praise Grutza. He tries to say nice things about him, but it seems forced. You would think that Grutza, with two years of experience as a starter, with more knowledge of Kelly’s offense than any of the other quarterbacks (except Mauk) would be the perfect guy to start this year, giving Demetrius Jones and Chazz Anderson a chance to get their legs under them before one of them takes over next year.

But there doesn’t seem to be much enthusiasm for that idea coming from Kelly.

Listen to this quote from Saturday after the spring game in which Grutza completed 13 of 18 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

“I like Dustin Grutza,” Kelly said. “Ben Mauk is a proven commodity in terms of playing all year. If we get Ben Mauk back, we’ll be happy. But look, we can’t cry over it. Dustin Grutza will have to be the guy and we’re going to have to win with him. We can’t trade him. We can’t get another guy for him. We think he can do the job. If he’s our starter, we’ll get it done. We’ll find a way”

So what do you think? Assuming Mauk doesn’t return, will Grutza be the starter in the fall. And if he is, how do you feel about that? Can UC win games with Grutza at quarterback?

Nakamura, Craig get their calls

I can only imagine what it’s like to sit around all day watching TV waiting to hear if you’re going to be drafted by an NFL team.

Every year I do the story about the UC players who get drafted and every year I try to put myself in their shoes. This year it was free safety Haruki Nakamura and defensive end Angelo Craig who got the call.

Nakamura was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens, where he’ll play for former UC assistant coach John Harbaugh. Craig was taken in the seventh round by the Bengals.
Both were thrilled to be drafted, of course, but for Craig there was mild disappointment that he wasn’t taken higher.

“It’s been a rough day,” he said.

But he also said he was looking forward to helping the Bengals with their anemic pass rush.

For Nakamura the call meant that all the hard work he did at UC paid off exactly the way he hoped it would. It also left him thinking about his father, the judo expert who died of cancer when Haruki was five years old.

“I know, as much as he loved judo, this moment here would have made him proud,” Nakamura said. “I wish he was here to be a part of it. I’m thankful for everything he instilled in my family, the judo, the discipline. Everything about my family is built around what he was about.”

On a personal note, I have to say that Haruki has been a class act ever since he arrived at UC four years ago. He was always polite, accessible, eager to talk and articulate. Angelo Craig also conducted himself with class, but he was much quieter than Haruki and I didn’t get to know him as well.

After I talked to Haruki tonight, I wished him well and thanked him for being so cooperative during the past four years.

He then thanked me for the things I wrote about him. As a sportswriter, you just don’t hear that very often.

In addition to Nakamura and Craig, four UC players agreed to free agent contracts Sunday night: Bradley Glatthaar and Anthony Hoke with the Bengals; Digger Bujnoch with the Giants and Doug Jones with the Rams.

Black 23, White 14

Dustin Grutza wasted no time letting everyone know that he intends to be the University of Cincinnati’s starting quarterback next fall if Ben Mauk is not granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.
The senior from Maysville, Ky., began the Bearcats’ spring game Saturday night by directing an 18-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Armon Binns.
“An 18-play drive to open up a spring game says a lot,” said UC coach Brian Kelly, “because everything’s got to be working in the right direction. I was pleased with his steadiness.”
Grutza, running the first-team offense with the White team against the Black team, which had the first-team defense, completed 13 of 18 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once on a ball that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
“I’m going out there competing as hard as I can,” Grutza said. “I thought I had a pretty good night.”
In the end, the Black team posted a 23-14 victory before 10,142 fans at Nippert Stadium, thanks to a 57-yard touchdown pass from Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones to Marty Gilyard with just over a minute left.
Ohio State transfer Brandon Underwood then intercepted a Chazz Anderson pass and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown to account for the final score.
While Grutza played well, it was clear that he will not be without competition when the Bearcats reassemble for fall camp.
Anderson, the redshirt freshman who caught Kelly’s eye this spring, was 9-for-20 for 97 yards and was intercepted twice. He also ran nine times for 47 yards.
Jones, playing with backups against the second-team defense, was 5-for-9 for 136 yards and one touchdown.
“The young kids aren’t ready yet to the level that I want them to be,” Kelly said. “Dustin Grutza is the starter if Ben Mauk’s not back.
“Now, those kids are going to be given every opportunity to take that job away from Dustin Grutza. I’m not going to hand it to him. We’ve got five weeks of pre-season camp. That’s a long time. If we’ve got to sort it out, that’s fine.”
That’s OK with Grutza.
“You’ve got to prove that you’re capable of being the man out there,” said Grutza, who started for two years before Mauk showed up last season. “I’m going to go out and compete. From now until summertime, I’m going to be working my butt off every day.”
The other offensive standouts with Gilyard, with 8 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and running back John Goebel, who carried 12 times for 51 yards.
But the defense dominated most of the game, led by linebacker Ryan Manalac, who picked off two passes.
The play that pleased Kelly the most was a sack by defensive end Connor Barwin, who ran across the field to chase down Anderson and force a fumble.
Barwin, who was switched this spring from tight end to defensive end, said he knew five days into practice that he could handle the new position, but the sack provided more evidence.
“For a defensive end, a sack is like scoring a touchdown for a tight end,” Barwin said. “So it felt really good to get that.”
It was exactly what Kelly envisioned when he made the switch of Barwin and quarterback Craig Carey to defensive end.
“(Barwin) and Craig Carey showed that they can help us at the defensive end position,” Kelly said. “That’s what we’re looking for, athleticism on the field, off the edge.”
In addition to what transpired on the field, Kelly said he was happy with the atmosphere surrounding the game.
“Was it sold out?” he said. “No. It wasn’t Alabama with 90,000. But as I’ve said before, we’re making strides in the right direction. We had an exciting atmosphere for a spring game.”

White 7, Black 3 - halftime

Defense is dominating behind two interceptions from linebacker Ryan Manalac. Grutza is 8-12 for 51 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Chazz Anderson, who's sharing first-team snaps with Grutza, is 6-11 for 82 yards and one interception. The running game is still not clicking. John Goebel is the leader with 23 yards on seven carries. Armon Binns has caught five passes for 37 yards and one touchdown.

White 7, Black 3 - 10:47 second quarter

The Black team took the fumble and with Tony Pike at quarterback, advanced to the White 21 before settling for Brandon Yingling's 38-yard field goal.

Barwin forces fumble

The White's drive just ended, thanks to a nice play from defensive end Connor Barwin, who came from the opposite side of the field to chase down Anderson, get the sack and force a fumble that was recovered by Lamonte Nelms. That was at least the third time I've heard Barwin's name called so far.

White 7, Black 0 - end first quarter

Chazz Anderson has moved the White team from its own 18 to the Black 15 and has looked very good doing it against the Black, which is mostly the first-team defense. The big play was a 32-yard reception by tight end Ben Guidugli. Early indications are that the White team - with Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel, is not running the ball as well as Brian Kelly would have liked. After one quarter, they have 23 yards on 15 carries.

White 7, Black 0- 6:19 first quarter

Dustin Grutza directed the White team on a 70-yard drive in 18 plays, finishing it off with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Armon Binns, who caught four passes for 23 yards on the drive. Grutza completed 7 of 8 passes for 55 yards on the drive.

Spring game pregame

There will be no kickoffs. Each drive will begin on the 30-yard line. All punts will result in a fair catch.

Senior Dustin Grutza is the only one of the five quarterbacks in a red jersey, which signifies that he is not to be hit.

As he awaits his latest ruling from the NCAA, Ben Mauk, last year’s starting quarterback, is on the field wearing shorts, a UC jersey and a baseball cap.

Spring game info

The University of Cincinnati football team will wrap up spring practice on Saturday night with BEARCAT BOWL II at Nippert Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game is the highlight event of the UC Football Alumni Weekend.
Admission

Admission to BEARCAT BOWL is free. Parking is $5 throughout campus for Saturday's events.

UC Football Youth Clinic
· Activities get underway at Nippert Stadium at 3 p.m. (registration starts at 2:30 p.m.) with the annual UC Football Youth Clinic. The event is open all youngsters, eighth grade and under. They will go through drills and meet Bearcat players and coaches.

CATITTUDE on Sheakley Lawn
· CATTITUDE on Sheakley Lawn gets underway at 5:30 p.m. A cookout and interactive activities for young and old engages the fans prior to game time.

Special Gift for Season Ticket Renewals
· Prior to the game, season ticket holders who have renewed their orders for 2008 have their special "Cats Eyes" Magnet awaiting them at the Pavilion located on Sheakley Lawn.

Zides Pride Shop Sale
· Fans looking for UC merchandise the day of the Bearcat Bowl can visit the Zides Pride Shop tents located on Sheakley Lawn and inside Nippert Stadium starting at 5:30 p.m. The Pride Shop tents will be offering prices up to 80 percent off on UC apparel, gifts, and more.

BEARCAT BOWL II
· BEARCAT BOWL II itself is a regular, 60-minute football game, featuring four, 15-minute quarters and regular NCAA scoring. The game will be televised live throughout the state on cable television by the Ohio News Network.

Watch on ONN and ESPN360.com
· Fans unable to attend BEARCAT BOWL II can watch the game live on the Ohio News Network (ONN) and ESPN360.com. Play-by-play announcer Tom Gelehrter is making the call, while Jim Kelly, Jr. provides insights and analysis of the action. Former ESPN anchor Betsy Ross will handle sideline duties.

Rosters for spring game

Here are the rosters for Saturday's spring game - 7 p.m. at Nippert.


RED
WR – Marty Gilyard; QB- Demetrius Jones; LB- Delbert Ferguson; QB- Dustin Grutza; DB- Drew Frey; QB- Chazz Anderson; DB- Brandon Underwood; WR-Dominick Goodman; DB-Aaron Webster; TE-Ben Guidugli; RB-Jacob Ramsey; RB-John Goebel; LB-Colin McCafferty; DB-Brad Jones; DB-Marty Williams; DB-Bruce Horner; DB-Justin Moore; DE-Nick DeFillipo; DB-Deon Reed; DB-Ben Kelly; LB-Tomaz Hilton; DL-John Hughes; LB-Joe Homan; P-Kevin Huber; LB-Andre Revels; OL-Chris Jurek; LB-Obadiah Cheatham; OL-Alex Hoffman; OL-Jason Kelce; P-Michael Cooke; OT-Jeff Linkenbach; DT-Thomas Claggett; OL-Trevor Canfield; OT-Kahlil El-Amin; WR-Armon Binns; TE-Kazeem Alli; WR-Marvin Barnett; WR-Charley Howard; TE-Adrien Robinson; DE-Tyler Clifford; K-Brandon Yingling; DL-Rob Trigg; TE-Tom DeTemple; K-Jake Rogers; DL- Patrick Biekawski

BLACK
QB-Demetrius Jones; DB-Drew Frey; DB-DeAngelo Smith; DE-Craig Carey; DB-Brandon Underwood; LB-Alex Delisi; DE-Lamonte Nelms; WB-Zach Callaros; QB-Tony Pike; DB-Cedric Tolbert; CB-Mike Mickens; RB-John Goebel; DB-Reubon Haley; WR-Jared Martin; DB-Wesley Richardson; DB-Brad Jones; RB-Montez Patterson; TE-Marcus Waugh; WR-Josh Canafax; LB-Andy Wersel; WR-Tahree McQueen; LB-Robbie Armstrong; RB-Trammel Williams; WR-Brian Rutledge; LB-Ryan Manalac; DB-Scott Johnson; LB-Tony Cornett; LS-Alex Apyan; LB-Ricardo Thompson; DL-Randy Martinez; DL-Steve Hancock; OL-Alex Hoffman; OL-Blake McCroskey; OL-Kevin Greany; OL-T.J. Franklin; OL-Sam Griffith; OL-Frank Parmenter; OL-Frank Becker; OL-C.J. Cobb; TE-Adrien Robinson; DE-Connor Barwin; DL-Ricardo Mathews; LS-Mike Windt; DL- Terrill Byrd; DL-Cedric Holmes.

“One thing I learned from last year,” Brian Kelly said, “is that we can’t have a mismatch at certain positions. Last year we had a freshman left tackle going against Trevor Anderson. We just couldn’t get the ball off. What that does is it breaks down the other 10 guys you’re trying to evaluate.

“So we’ve balanced the teams up to where we think we’ve got fair matchups on both sides of the ball. At the end of the day, it’s probably close to the one offense and the two offense and a balance on defense so we don’t have those mismatches.”

Nakamura, Craig waiting for NFL calls

Defensive end Angelo Craig and defensive back Haruki Nakamura both are hoping to be among those selected in the NFL draft this weekend.

Craig, from Cleveland, said he has had private workouts with the Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played both linebacker and defensive end at UC and said he has attracted interest at both positions depending on the team that’s looking at him.

“I’m just excited,” Craig said, “taking it all in. In the end, I know you’ve got to go play football. I know I’m going to get a chance to show my talents.”

Nakamura, from Elyria, also worked out for the Bengals and Browns as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears. He said the Oakland Raiders have shown a lot of interest in the past few days.

“There’s a lot of different speculation right now,” Nakamura said. “I take it with a grain of salt. I just hope for the best and hope all the hard work pays off.”

Other UC players who might have a chance to land in an NFL camp this summer include running back Greg Moore, fullback Doug Jones, offensive lineman Digger Bujnoch and defensive end Anthony Hoke.

Last year, two UC players were drafted. Cornerback John Bowie was taken in the fourth round by the Raiders and tight end Brent Celek was selected in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nakamura, Craig waiting for NFL calls

Defensive end Angelo Craig and defensive back Haruki Nakamura both are hoping to be among those selected in the NFL draft this weekend.


Craig, from Cleveland, said he has had private workouts with the Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played both linebacker and defensive end at UC and said he has attracted interest at both positions depending on the team that’s looking at him.



“I’m just excited,” Craig said, “taking it all in. In the end, I know you’ve got to go play football. I know I’m going to get a chance to show my talents.”


Nakamura, from Elyria, also worked out for the Bengals and Browns as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears. He said the Oakland Raiders have shown a lot of interest in the past few days.



“There’s a lot of different speculation right now,” Nakamura said. “I take it with a grain of salt. I just hope for the best and hope all the hard work pays off.”



Other UC players who might have a chance to land in an NFL camp this summer include running back Greg Moore, fullback Doug Jones, offensive lineman Digger Bujnoch and defensive end Anthony Hoke.


Last year, two UC players were drafted. Cornerback John Bowie was taken in the fourth round by the Raiders and tight end Brent Celek was selected in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

In praise of Connor Barwin

Brian Kelly is so pleased with the way Connor Barwin has taken to the switch from tight end to defensive end that he’s referring to Barwin as a potential NFL player at his new position, even though Barwin has never played a down at defensive end in a college game.

During a conversation about his defense, Kelly was talking about the talent the Bearcats have on that side of the ball.

“You’ve potentially got two draft picks in Byrd and Barwin and on the back end of your defense, Mickens, Underwood and DeAngelo Smith,” Kelly said. “There’s five potential NFL players there.”

When I pointed out that I was surprised to hear Barwin mentioned in the same breath with Byrd and Mickens, Kelly said, “He’s got all the physical tools. There’s not many guys at BCS schools running around at that position that look the way he looks.”

Why Ward changed his mind

Chris Chaney, Varez Ward's coach at The Patterson School in Patterson, N.C., says that both sides agreed attending UC would not be in Ward’s best interest.

“It was both ways,” Chaney said. “He liked it when he went up there for a visit, but he has circumstances at home and thought it was a little too far from home. Cincinnati was wondering if he did come, if he would stay.

“He has a lot of respect for Cincinnati. He’s unhappy that it’s not working out. Cincinnati did everything the right way.”

Chaney said he doesn't know where Ward will end up.

Varez Ward not going to UC

The rumors about Varez Ward are true. He won’t be signing with UC. As many of you probably know, Rivals.com on Sunday quoted Ward’s coach as saying that he had not signed with UC and will not be going there. After repeated calls, I was finally able to confirm that what Rivals reported is true. Now I’m trying to find out why. The other two recruits – junior college center Steven Toyloy and guard Dion Dixon, have signed with UC. Ward was not considered a Top 150 recruit. When he committed to UC back on March 20, he said he chose UC over UTEP, but he was highly regarded as a defensive specialist who could have made a contribution to the Bearcats. No word yet on where he’s going.

Mauk saga

Apparently there will be no decision today on Ben Mauk, but Brian Kelly says it won't be long now.

"We have heard from the NCAA and they are actively on it," Kelly said. "We have to supply a little bit more information but this seems to be imminent. This thing is hot right now."

From stinking to just lousy

Reporters from Chicago Tribune and ESPN.com were at practice today to do stories on Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones. They were both taken aback when Brian Kelly said that Jones had progressed from stinking to merely lousy.

Kelly explained that he was just using those terms to show how far behind Jones was when practice started because of last fall’s shoulder surgery and how far he has to go before he can compete for the starting position this fall.

“He didn’t come here to be an average quarterback,” Kelly said. “He came here to lead us to a championship. I need to let him know that he’s making progress…He’s not ready to win games for us at the level we need. Yeah, maybe he can win some non-conference games for us but that’s not why he’s here.”

Kelly said that Jones has progressed physically to the point where he now has a base from which to compete when practice resumes this summer.

Mauk's assessment of the other quarterbacks

While Ben Mauk has been waiting for an NCAA ruling on his status for next year he has been at practice working with the other quarterbacks.

Here’s Mauk’s assessment of the five quarterbacks in spring practice:

“They’re progressing. I think Demetrius (Jones) has a long way to go, but he’s at the right place. I think Chazz (Anderson) has a lot more confidence now. One of the guys I really like is Zach Collaros. He’s real athletic. He kind of plays how I like to play. He could be the man down the road for a long time.

“Tony Pike has come a long way. He changed his grip on the football and he looks real good. And of course you have Dustin Grutza with his experience. He can come in and win a game. All these guys have the tools to do it.”

Notes from today's scrimmage

It has taken defensive tackle Terrill Byrd all of two weeks to make the move back up the depth chart from second team to where he’s knocking on the door to the first team again.

“I guess the best way I could put it he started a lap behind and he’s caught up real quickly,” Brian Kelly after Saturday’s practice. “I don’t know what the reps were today. I know that he wasn’t on the first team as of yesterday, but he was in the backfield a lot so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s back being a first-teamer for us.”

Byrd, a second-team All-American last year, was held out of the first week of spring practice after he paid a citation for smoking marijuana. He was also demoted to the second team and suspended for the season opener.

But Kelly said it serves no purpose to keep Byrd on the second team as a punitive measure if Byrd is doing all the right things to merit reinstatement to the first team.

“I can’t hold Terrill Byrd back if he’s making plays on the field,” Kelly said. “It was punitive to start, but once he came back to practice, now you’re going to be evaluated just like everybody else on our football team. I don’t think you carry that (on). Then a kid, how does he perform and progress every day if you carry that weight on his back? So we took it off.”

At the same time, Kelly said, he has told his coaches to prepare to play without Byrd.

“If he can’t make the right decisions, it doesn’t matter to me whether he can make all the plays,” Kelly said.

PRAISE FOR ANDERSON: Redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson continues to impress Kelly with his play in spring practice and now looms as a bona fide competitor for the starting quarterback position with one week to go in spring practice.

Anderson completed eight of nine passes for 98 yards and one touchdown during a scrimmage at the end of practice. He also ran three times for 46 yards, including a 39-yard run that set up the touchdown pass to Armon Binns.

“I thought Chazz moved our offense pretty good,” Kelly said. “He’s what I’ve been saying over the last couple of weeks. He’s competing for a starting position.”

Anderson and Demetrius Jones shared most of the first-team reps during the scrimmage, with Jones going 1-for-4 for 4 yards. He also rushed eight times for -8 yards. “Demetrius is coming along,” Kelly said. “He’s not as far along as Chazz is, but he’s an athletic kid. He wouldn’t have been able to get the snap off a week ago. I try to keep it all relative to his development. He needed to get out there in a competitive situation and it was really good for him.”

IMPROVED RUNNING GAME: Although there were few running plays called in the scrimmage, the Bearcats have shown an improved ability to run the ball this spring, which was one of Kelly’s priorities when practice began.

“If there’s anything that we wanted to get out of the spring it was the ability to run the football,” Kelly said. “We should be OK throwing the football. We’ve got a pretty good offensive structure. I would say that’s probably the highlight of our spring is the development of our quarterbacks and our offensive line.”

Mauk states his case

I talked extensively today with Ben Mauk about his attempt to get the NCAA to grant him another year of eligibility for next season. It’s a pretty compelling case.

All along, Mauk and his family had believed that it was his final year at Wake that would be the focus of his original request for a sixth year, a request that was denied by the NCAA in February. When they found out that his freshman year was the one in question, Mauk said he was also hurt that year and submitted new information to the NCAA to consider.

“Once I realized the redshirt year is the year that’s going to be in question, I said, well I was definitely hurt that year too,” Mauk said, “so I brought out the documentations, the surgical reports. It’s all factual information. I’m not trying to put one past anybody.”

Mauk broke his leg during his freshman year in high school. He had a plate and screws inserted, including one in his big toe. Everything was fine until his senior year in high school when the screw in his toe began to work its way out, forcing doctors to remove it.

“If you can imagine the bone in your big toe being hollow and how fragile that’s going to be,” Mauk said. “I was off of it for six to eight weeks where I was on crutches. Right before fall camp started (at Wake Forest) I was getting back into running. The incision was just bleeding through. It was pretty frustrating.”

Mauk said he chose Wake Forest in part because he was told that he would have a chance to compete for the starting position as a true freshman. He wasn’t about to let his big toe prevent him from competing, so he pressed on, even though he said, his sock would frequently fill with blood from the incision.

“I’m not going to sit out if I have a chance to play,” Mauk said. “I tried to persevere and push through there and that’s why I went through practice. Otherwise, I would have sat out.”

But he says he was not able to play the way he had in high school.

“Obviously, I didn’t win the job because of my toe,” he said. “I couldn’t go through all the drills. I couldn’t develop into the starting quarterback that they wanted me to because of my toe.”

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe then decided that Mauk would redshirt, a decision that Mauk said he was helpless to contest. In the eyes of the NCAA, a redshirt year is voluntary, but Mauk says in his case it was due to an injury that prevented him from playing that season.

“What basically has to happen,” said Maggie McKinley, UC’s compliance director, “is the NCAA has to see medical documentation that says he was unable to participate for the entire season.”

Brian Kelly and McKinley are both saying that the NCAA’s ruling could come early next week, but with the NCAA you never know.

Quarterback derby

The next 10 days could be crucial for several of UC’s quarterbacks. With five quarterbavcks taking snaps and two more coming in as freshman in the fall, Kelly realizes that some changes will have to be made that position.

“We just can’t field all those quarterbacks,” Kelly said. “So there may be some tough decisions that have to be made relative to the position that they’re playing, whether they have a chance to play the position here or whether it’s better that they’re somewhere else. Not to kick anybody off the team, we’ve got great kids. But the reality is it’s a competitive situation. They’re on scholarship and not everybody can play. I don’t think we’re going to be able to go through the spring and say status quo. There’s going to have to be some changes there.

Lately, Kelly has talked about how happy he has been with the progress being made by Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones and redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson. And senior Dustin Grutza, because of his experience and value as a backup and even a possible starter, will not be moved.

That leaves redshirt freshman Zach Collaros and junior Tony Pike as the quarteracks on the bubble. That could change, though, as the final week of spring practice unfolds.

Urban Meyer visits practice

Florida coach Urban Meyer did show up at UC’s practice today and talked to the players on the field after practice.

As a UC grad, he talked about how proud he was of how the program has progressed in recent years and tried to impress on them how much work it takes to reach a championship level.

When he finished talking with the team, he stopped briefly to talk with reporters and recalled his days here as a walk-on reserve safety and special teams player back in 1984.

“It was not a good football place when I was here,” he said. “I was not a good player. It was not a good program. It was not a good place…the way it is now, that was an excellent football practice, a bunch of good players. That team is going to challenge for a championship. That was really good.

“I played professional baseball for two years and then I walked on here. I wasn’t very good…It wasn’t major college football. It was a masquerade. It was not what it is today. The facilities are phenomenal. That practice was a legitimate practice with a bundh of good football players. I’m leaving here going, ‘That was legit.’

Meyer was here to visit family. His sister is a vice-provost at UC. His father underwent gall bladder surgery on Tuesday, which is why he didn’t attend practice then , as expected.

Juco center commits to UC

UC has added a junior college center to its recruiting class of 2008 with the addition of Steven Toyloy of Miami-Dade Community College committed to UC. The 6-foot-8, 265-pound Toyloy, from West Palm Beach, averaged a double-double of 11.7 rebounds and about 12 points this past season.

As a freshman at Miami-Dade, he led the nation in rebounding at 13 per game.
“He’s a real physical, very strong type Big East big guy,” said Matt Eisele, the head coach at Miami-Dade. “He’s one of the best rebounders I’ve ever coached. He has a knack for getting the ball in tough traffic areas.”

Toyloy is the fifth player to commit to UC for next season, joining guards Dion Dixon and Varez Ward, who are expected to sign letters-of-intent today, along with power forward Yancy Gates and point guard Cashmere Wright, who signed in November.

Urban Meyer a no-show

Florida coach Urban Meyer, who was expected to be at UC's practice this morning, did not show up. Meyer, who played at UC in 1980s, has family in Cincinnati that he's been visiting, according to Kelly.

Get a job!!!

Those words echoed through Nippert Stadium this morning as Brian Kelly addressed his players following practice.

What was Kelly talking about?

"I don’t like entitlements," Kelly said. "I don’t want guys to feel like, hey, they’re entitled to scholarships. Theyv’e got to earn them and in the summer I'd prefer most of our players get a summer job and work. I don't want them sitting around their apartments all day waiting to work out. I want them to be up there being active."

Byrd starting comeback

One week after Brian Kelly announced that he had demoted All-American defensive tackle Terrill Byrd to the second team because of his marijuana citation, Byrd already is spending time with the first team.

"He took two snaps (today)," Kelly said. "He's still running with the second group. He had four snaps on Saturday and he had four outstanding snaps. I have to be able to give him more work if he is going to compete at that level because then it's just being punitive to keep him on second team.

"He's got a long way to go before we make him a starter but his work has been outstanding on the field, so I have to be able to reward him with some more snaps. It's only fair. If you tell a kid he's number two and he's making all the plays, how can you justify that by not giving him more work?"

Urban Meyer visit

Many UC fans wanted Urban Meyer to be the Bearcats' after Rick Minter was fired in 2003, but Meyer, who played at UC in 1984, wasn't interesrted.

Of course, he went on to become the head coach at Florida and led the Gators to the national championship in 2006.

He's expected to be at his old school tomorrow morning paying a visit to Brian Kelly and the Bearcats during their morning practice after presiding over Florida's spring game Saturday in front of 61,000 fans.

UC-Kentucky showdown

The UC baseball team, which has won 13 of its last 16 games and is tied for second place in the Big East one game behind Notre Dame, will take on No. 23 Kentucky at 6:30 Tuesday night at Marge Schott Stadium. UC (19-12 overall, 9-3 in the league) has the Big East's top two base stealers in Jamel Scott and Tony Campana, both with 25 steals. The Bearcats will hold out their best pitchers for this weekend's Big East series vs. Georgetown, but if you like college baseball this should be an interesting matchup nonetheless.

“That is a big game for us,” said coach Brian Cleary. “It’s fair to say they’re the strongest team right now in this part of the country.”

College baseball is a tough sell in this town, obviously, because of the presence of the Reds, and UC hasn't helped itself over the years with some pretty bad teams at times. Their last trip to the NCAA Tournament was in 1974. That's one long drought. But they're playing well now and are loaded with local high school players.

The APR

I've received several e-mails about today's story about UC's APR numbers and the gist of them some of them is who cares about the APR numbers? Bring back Huggins so the Bearcats can start winning again. That kind of thinking misses the point.

With the advent of the APR, it's no longer possible to field a team without concern for academics. One of the most interesting things that compliance director Maggie McKinley said in that story is that Mick Cronin faces a rebuilding job on two fronts - academic and athletic. Obviously, the academic rebuilding had to be the top priority because if it wasn't, the program would have been penalized even further and on-court success would have postponed even further.

As I've said before, I'm not here to defend Cronin. I don't know if he's the man to get the program back to where it was. We'll know in the next few years. In fact, I don't know if it will ever get back to where it was. Cronin did not create this mess. In my opinion, it was created by Bob Huggins, Andy Kennedy and to a lesser extent Nancy Zimpher because of the way she handled Huggins' dismissal. Look at some of the players that were signed in the last few years of Huggins-Kennedy: Souleymane, Muhammad, Whaley, Bright, etc.

Regardless of what you think of Cronin as a coach, he was hired to clean up a very bad situation. I doubt if anyone with any interest in staying at UC for the long haul could turned this program into a 20-game winner within two years while competing in the Big East.

Kelly vents at defense

Brian Kelly wasn’t happy after he watched his defense get pushed around in the red zone during today’s scrimmage and let two of his best players, Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, know how he felt.

“When you’re down there, it’s a demeanor and I didn’t like our demeanor,” Kelly said. “We’re going through some changes with personnel and that requires leadership. I just addressed Mickens and DeAngelo Smith. Those are our leaders down there.

“Listen, nobody wants to be on the 10-yard line. If you’re backed up on the 10-yard line, you’d better have a different attitude. You can’t just line up. I’m tired of hearing Mike Mickens, All-American. If he doesn’t put a hat on somebody down there, he’s not an All-American in my book.

“He’s got to bring both the cover skills and the ability to come up and take on John Goebel. Goebel was redshirted last year. Mike Mickens was playing in the Big East. Same thing with DeLo. And they get it. They understand that. They know they’ve got to pick up the intensity when that field shortens.”

Offensively, Demetrius Jones, who was 0-for3, continues to struggle with his passing as he recovers from last fall’s shoulder surgery. His throwing motion still looks unnatural and he missed on several short passes. He’s obviously still a long way from being able to even compete for the starting job.

“One thing he is doing a little bit better is he’s getting the ball out quicker,” Kelly said. “We’re making small strides but we’re making the strides necessary. Is he complete yet? Absolutely not. But the ball’s coming out quicker and again from my standpoint we’re making small steps of progress.”

While Jones continues his comeback, redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson seems to be getting better. Anderson completed 2-of-4 passes for 73, including a 65-yard strike on the run to Jared Martin.

“Chazz Anderson is playing at a higher level,” Kelly said. “He’s competing for the starting position. He’s in there with (Dustin) Grutza and (Tony) Pike taking first-team reps. He’s had a good spring. He has a learning deficit that he’s trying to catch up on but he’s got all the tools and I would say right now he’s putting himself in a position to compete for the starting position.”

Other numbers from Saturday’s scrimmage:

Dominick Goodman 3 catches for 35 yards; Jacob Ramsey, 6 carries for 27 yards; John Goebel, 6 carries for 22 yards; Grutza, 4-8, 30 yards; Pike 4-6, 30 yards; Zach Collaros, 2-3, 16 yards.

DeAngelo Smith, Drew Frey and Andre Revels all had one interception.

UC announced today that the April 26 spring game, known as Bearcat Bowl II, will be televised on ONN, the Ohio News Network.

Finding a spot for Underwood

One of the things the UC coaching staff is trying to figure out this spring is what to do with Brandon Underwood, the Hamilton High School product and transfer from Ohio State.

Brian Kelly loves Underwood’s athletic ability, but Underwood is a cornerback and UC already has two very strong corners in Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith.

“He’s a tremendous, gifted football player,” Kelly said of Underwood. “He has to rank up there among the top players that I’ve ever coached from a physical standpoint. He has all the tools. He can run. He can close. He has ball skills. He’s a special, special player.”

Complicating matters is the fact that Underwood, although he’s academically eligible to participate in spring practice, has a lot of work to do to be eligible this fall because many of the credits he earned at Ohio State did not transfer to UC.

“Brandon’s problems have never been on the football field,” Kelly said. “Brandon’s problems have been staying focused in the classroom. He’s going to have to continue to do that. He’s got a lot of work to do academically. We put him on scholarship this quarter, but that is a quarter-by-quarter assessment.”

If Underwood does the classroom work, you can rest assured that Kelly will find a spot for him in UC’s defensive backfield.

“We’ve got to get our best 11 on the field and if Brandon Underwood is one of them we have to be able to make it work all the way,” Kelly said. “We just haven’t got to that level yet where we say, Brandon, you’re on the field, we’re moving DeAngleo Smith. DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens are our starting corners. We’re trying to find a spot for Underwood.”

Underwood has one year of eligilibility remaining with the possibility of two if he applies for a hardship waiver at the end of next season.

Alvin Mitchell update

Alvin Mitchell seems to be getting closer to reinstatement to the basketball program. He's not there yet but Mick Cronin said today that Mitchell is doing better.

"He's gone from an indefinite suspension to probation," is how Cronin put it. “He’s had a couple of good weeks since spring started. We’ll see, but he’s trying and I commend him for it.”

Mitchell's problems were neither academic nor legal, but a series of transgressions that Cronin felt he had to deal with for the good of the team.

UC basketball awards

Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn earned four awards, including the Oscar Robertson Award and the WXIX-cellence Award at the UC men's basketball banquet tonight at the Tangeman University Center on campus.

Vaughn, the Bearcats’ leading scorer, took home the WXIX-cellence Award as the team MVP as selected by the FOX19 sports department as well as the team’s Free-Throw Percentage Award and Assists Award. Vaughn was presented the Oscar Robertson Award for his dedication and commitment as well as on-court accomplishments in front of the award’s namesake, joining a select group of UC players that includes Robertson by becoming just the 32nd player in Cincinnati history to score 500 points or more in the season.

Senior forward John Williamson picked up his second straight team Rebounding Award after averaging 6.3 boards per game. His efforts helped the Bearcats to finish third in BIG EAST Conference games with a +3.4 rebounding margin.

The Ball of Courage Award, given annually to the player that has shown great courage and the ability to battle through adversity, went to senior center Adam Hrycaniuk. Hrycaniuk earned the award for battling through sitting out a season and playing just one year at UC. Despite limited action over the last two years, Hrycaniuk started all 32 games this year and played over 24 minutes a game, while finishing the season as the squads’ third-leading scorer.

For the second year in a row, senior point guard Jamual Warren was named best defensive player. He played the central role in the Bearcats defense despite missing the first six games with a hand injury. Warren, who averaged over 32 minutes a night, led Cincinnati with 1.5 steals per game and finished third in rebounding and defensive rebounds.

A new award was unveiled tonight to honor the player who exhibits the right attitude on and off the court with his work ethic, competitiveness, and leadership. The inaugural Bearcat Award was given to a pair of seniors – Marvin Gentry and Marcus Sikes. The duo showed exemplary attitudes throughout the season taking on different roles this year compared to last season. Gentry was the team’s second-leading 3-point shooter with 27 treys and the squad’s fourth leading scorer. A center on last year’s squad, Sikes scored 3.9 points a night and pulled down an average of 3.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes in his new role as a forward. His rebounds were fourth on the team.

In the line of duty

As a member of the extended family of Colerain Township firefighter Brian Schira, I had the privilege today to attend the Mass at the cathedral and the ceremony at Spring Grove Ceremony for Brian and Capt. Robin Broxterman. It was an extremely moving experience - from the moment we boarded the family bus at Northgate Mall this morning until we left the cemetery early this evening.

When the procession began at the Colerain Township administration building, I expected to see people paying their respects along the route as we made our way down Springdale Ave. and onto Colerain. But I thought by the time we reached Mt. Airy, the numbers would dwindle.

I was wrong.

All along the way, there were images that will stay with me for a long time. People crying, waving flags, holding up signs. School children lined up in their uniforms saluting as the procession went by. People who were stuck in traffic going the other way on Colerain getting out of their cars and saluting. Firefighters from other departments positioned to pay their respects.

When we got downtown, we were overwhelmed by the sight of firefighters from all around Greater Cincinnati and beyond gathered to lend their support for the families of the deceased and for each other. The Mass was elegant, topped off by remembrances from those who knew Brian and Robin.

After Mass, the procession moved across Eighth St. to Dalton St. to Spring Grove Ave. Even though the proceedings were several hours behind schedule, the streets were lined with people.

At the cemetery, brave firefighters openly wept and hugged each other for support as they mourned for two of their own.

I always think it’s silly when I hear someone talk about how a tragedy puts sports in perspective. It shouldn’t take a tragedy for us to know how ultimately insignificant sports are compared to the reality that many of us face every day.

Today made an impact on me in another way. Ever since 9/11, we’ve all professed a greater appreciation for the police and firefighters, but only after today did I realize how deeply felt that appreciation really is for those who lay down their lives for us.

As night descends, I hope my cousin, Pete, and his wife, Liz, along with the other members of their immediate family, find the peace and acceptance that must seem so elusive now. I’m sure that Brian and Robin will rest in peace after they made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today was an amazing experience, one that I hope I never repeat.

Other notes from Tuesday's practice

Other notes from today’s practice:

Terrill Byrd isn’t the only UC player who has drawn the ire of Brian Kelly. Wide receiver Marcus Barnett, who’s rehabbing from a broken leg he suffered in the Papajohn’s.com Bowl, also came under fire from the UC coach today.

“He’s got to also understand that he’s got to do the right things all the time,” Kelly said, “his rehab, his training. Marcus Barnett is a product of our system. He caught a lot of touchdown passes and Marcus needs to understand that. Marcus needs to continue to mature and continue to grow up.”

Redshirt freshman Adrien Robinson has been moved from wide receiver to tight end.

“What we’re looking at is how we can get him more reps in our entire package,” Kelly said. “It’s pretty clear that if we just left him at wide receiver he’d be in and out of the game. You’ve got guys like (Marty) Gilyard and Barnett and (Dominick) Goodman, who have a lot of experience. We don’t have a lot of experience (at tight end) so it just makes sense for us to get him more work at that position.

“We had recruited him to play wide receiver and I didn’t want to make a move until I got a chance to talk to him. It has to be more his decision. If he was resistant to the move, we wouldn’t have done it. but he understands more than anything else that it’s an opportunity to get more playing time.”

Byrd demoted

All-American defensive tackle Terrill Byrd returned to practice today following a one-week suspension after he was charged with marijuana possession, but he’s now a member of the second team.

“He’s got to earn his way back,” Brian Kelly said. “Is he a good football player? Sure. But he’s got to do all the right things all the time and he’s got to earn his position back.

“He was an All-American last year. He hasn’t gotten off to a good start in 2008. 2007 was a good year for him…The message has been consistent. If you don’t make good decisions off the field, that’s going to affect what happens on the field and it’s affected it. He’s going to have to work hard to earn the trust of the coaches and the players who are part of this program.”

Byrd said he’s prepared to do exactly that.

“I’m not mad at the decision,” Byrd said. “If that’s what he had to do that’s what he had to do. I’m just glad to be back out here and get another chance. I’m just taking it in stride right now. I’m still kind of shocked that it happened. I’ve just got to learn from my mistakes.”

Byrd said he was not smoking marijuana, nor did he have any in his possession or in his room. He said when he returned to his dorm room on March 5 he found several friends inside smoking. He asked them to leave but before they did, police showed up and cited him.

He missed his first court date, which led to a warrant being issued for his arrest because, he said, he misplaced the ticket and didn’t know when the court date was. When he found the ticket, he paid his $65 fine aned $90 in costs.

“I just wanted to get it over with,” he said. “I didn’t really want to go back to court and deal with that. They said if I just paid the ticket it would be done with and that’s what I wanted to do. I just wanted to get it behind me.

“I’m sorry I let my team down. I’m going to bounce back. I didn’t think I was going to come down this road. My parents always told me live and learn.”

Byrd is also suspended for UC's season opener on Aug. 28 vs. Eastern Kentucky. He was suspended for last year's season opener for missing class.

Baseball on a roll

UC's sweep of UConn over the weekend was its first series sweep in the Big East in two years. The Bearcats are 7-2 in the league, tied for first place with St. John's and Notre Dame. UC hasn't played in the NCAA Tournament since 1974. They have played in the Tournament five times overall - 1956, 1961, 1967 and 1971.

Keep an eye on Robinson

As I hung around the practice field last fall, I heard a lot of talk about wide receiver Adrien Robinson, who was being redshirted at the time. Robinson is 6-5, about 225-230 and runs a 4.5 40.

He’s currently running at No. 2 on the depth chart at the inside wide receiver position, but Brian Kelly says he can also play on the outside.

At this point, he’s still feeling his way, but Kelly said he expects him to be a factor this fall.

“He’s a big target, a physical guy who can run,” said Kelly said. “Those are the kind of guys that I can find room for. That’s why we recruited him. He’s a hard matchup for anybody.”

“He’ll play for us this year and he’ll get an opportunity to make plays. It’s just a matter of how quickly he can pick things up.”

UC football scrimmage

The Bearcats ran 50 plays today in a scrimmage situation with referees during the last 35 minutes of practice. John Goebel carried 15 times for 61 yards. Jacob Ramsey had five carries for 39 yards. Dustin Grutza looked good at quarterback, going 5-for6 for 53 yards and one touchdown, a 12-yard strike to Marty Gilyard in the corner of the end zone. Tony Pike also threw the ball well, goinng 6-for-7 for 54 yards and one touchdown, also to Gilyard, this one for 20 yards.

Gilyard caught two passes for 32 yards. Charley Howard, filling in for Marcus Barnett, caught five passes for 36 yards. Howard was just awarded a scholarship this past week.

"Today was really a physical day in terms of running the football," Brian Kelly said. "We were probably 75-25 run to pass. The game of football is still won up front and playing physical, even though we have a reputation that we like to play fast, which we do. But you’ve still got to be able to do the little things up front. That was the purpose of today and we saw some good things. I thought our running backs ran north and south. Last year we thought we got a little too lateral with them. They broke tackles and ran physical. I think our offensive line has shown themselves to be in much better physical condition than they were last year."

Spring practice: Day 3

- It now appears that UC won't get a ruling from the NCAA on Ben Mauk's status for another 10 days or so.

"We talked to the NCAA (Thursday)," Brian Kelly said today. "They said it would be 10 days to two weeks before they can give us a definite answer. They’ve got four to six cases that are still pending that they’ve got to clear up before they can go back to Ben's."

- Junior running back Jacob Ramsey, who took over as the starter near the end of last season, has put on about 15 pounds and looks much more physically imposing than he was last year.

"I'm about 230 now," Ramsey said. "I was at 215. I just wanted to become a stronger runner between the tackles and bring a little more to my style of running. I'm just as explosive if not more now. I just got stronger and I think it's going to help me out. When we do our contact drills, I can feel the power behind my frame so it's really going to help me out this season, I believe."

Ramsey will be pushed by third-year sophomore John Goebel, who was redshirted last year. Because Ramsey still isn't 100 percent recovered from a sprained right ankle he suffered last season, Kelly said Goebel might be featured more than Ramsey during spring drills.

- The Bearcats will do their first real hitting of the spring during today's practice, which is scheduled from 1-3:15 p.m. About 200 coaches from the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association will be hand.

Thomas honored

This from UC:

UC athletic director Mike Thomas has been named a recipient of the 2008 General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletics Director Award, given by the All-American Football Foundation.

The award, which is named in honor of the West Point graduate and Hall of Fame head coach at the University of Tennessee, will be presented to Thomas at the Midwest Banquet of Champions on April 21. The banquet is being held at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. The award is given annually to those who display outstanding leadership and accomplishment in college athletics. This is the second time Thomas has received the distinction, having won it at the University of Akron in 2005.A

Scotty Hopson to Tennessee

Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer is reporting on USA Today's web site that shooting guard Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville, Ky., has committed to Tennessee after making an official visit there. Hopson was also considering UC and Mississippi State, the school he originally committed to.

"I just committed to Tennessee," Hopson told Meyer. "It was a pretty good visit and I like everything about the situation. It's a great situation.

"With (Chris) Lofton leaving, I can come in and start at the two. After coming down here and seeing what is in front of me, I decided to take charge of the situation and make a decision."

Hopson was the nation's No. 9-rated prospect, according to Rivals.

Notes from spring practice

UC sent the information for Ben Mauk's latest appeal to the NCAA on Tuesday and Brian Kelly said the school hopes to get an answer later this week. Meanwhile, Mauk continues to work out during spring drills.

"He’s not taking any competitive reps but he's out here staying involved beccause if he doesn’t play he's going to be probably coaching," Kelly said. "He gives us another arm and he gives us a little bit of coaching out there. The young kids always migrate to him and he's able to point some things out. It's like having another coach on the field, so it really strenghtens our hand."

As he has said all along, Kelly is not expecting to get Mauk back, but is more than willing to let the process play itself out.

"We've moved past that," he said. "If something happens positive, then we’ll react to it."

Terrill Byrd, who was suspensed for the season opener after he was cited for smoking marijuana, has also been suspended for the first week of spring practice.

"It's a seven-day suspension away from the team," Kelly said. "He'll be back next Sunday and he'll be with the team in weight training on Monday."

Connor Barwin says he was shocked when Kelly first suggested to him two weeks ago that he switch from tight end to defensive end, but he quickly bought in after Kelly explained the rationale behind the move.

"I think I can help the team over there more than I can help the team offensively," Barwin said. "And I think I’ll be an effective player over there. I think I’ll be a good defensive end."

Barwin said it didn't take long for Kelly to get him to believe this would be good for him, but he conceded that Kelly has a knack for talking people into almost anything.

"I had to think I know who this is telling me this," Barwin said.

Other spring practice tidbits

Ben Mauk practiced as he continues to pursue his NCAA appeal for another year of elibility.
Brian Kelly said he liked what he saw of Connor Barwin at defensive end.

"He looked fairly natural," Kelly said. "It didn’t look like it took him a long time to get lined up and get off the ball. Early indications are that he's got that innate ability to play the position, which is what we were hoping to see today.

Marcus Barnett, who has surgery after breaking his leg in the bowl game last December, is practicing but on a limited basis. So far, he's pretty much restricted to running some routes.

Overall, Kelly said he liked what he saw today.

"I thought the tempo was pretty good for the first day. If you remember last year, I had blood running out of my ears and my eyes from screaming. They understand the tempo necessary to be a championship football team. For a first day, what I look at from a head coach’s perspective is the tempo and how kids are moving around on the field and I was pleased with that."

Demetrius Jones on ND

Spring practice began today with Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones throwing down field for the first time since he underwent surgery last fall to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. After practice, he talked about how happy he was to be at UC.

“Right now, the first day, it’s just getting out there, getting loose, learning the new system and most of all not knowing that you’re 3-9,” he said.

That 3-9, of course, was a not-so-veiled reference to Notre Dame’s record last season. Jones was the starting quarterback for the season opener vs. Georgia Tech but was replaced before the end of the first half after he fumbled twice, ran 12 times for 28 yards and completed 1 of 3 passes for four yards.

He did not make the trip with the team to the Michigan game two weeks later and eventually transferred to UC.

Jones now says it’s clear to him that ND coach Charlie Weis never intended for him to be the starting quarterback, that Weiss planned to have freshman Jimmy Clausen run the offense all along.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to understand that college football is a business,” Jones said. “I’m a man of integrity. I’m not stupid. I’ve never seen a quarterback lose a position in a quarter. It don’t take me much to read between the lines to see that that was (Clausen’s) position even before he came there and I was just in an unfortunate situation. As a man, I’m able to look clear cut at that. That was basically the plan, for that to be his position.”

Jones said the only reason he started the season opener against Georgia Tech was to protect Clausen.

“You’ve got to look at Georgia Tech and their defense,” he said. “Who wants to put a freshman out there against a whole bunch of guys from the South who are going to be running around blitzing? That’s why he didn’t send him into the game until the third group was out there.”

After Jones arrived at UC, the training staff discovered that he had the torn labrum, an injury that Jones said was diagnosed as tendonitis when he was at Notre Dame.

“People call it immature or walking out on your team,” Jones said of his departure from Notre Dame. “But if I didn’t leave we wouldn’t be having this conversation and I wouldn’t have my shoulder fixed. It was just a situation I had to get out for the benefit of my future.”