Photo: Joshua Keelen, r-Freshman, Baton Rouge, LA Istrouma HS, 6-3/285, Defensive Line
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter
Southern University could be losing redshirt freshman offensive guard Joshua Keelen even as the team finally got junior offensive tackle Ruben Oliver back in the fold Tuesday.
SU coach Pete Richardson said Keelen, who did not practice Tuesday, might be academically ineligible.
“It may be a situation that he may not be back,” Richardson said. “I’ll know in the next couple days.”
Meanwhile, true freshman guard Brian Bridges (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) will practice today for the last time until further notice.
Bridges has yet to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. By rule, with his paperwork submitted and a final decision yet to be made, he was allowed to practice for the first few weeks, but with school starting, he’ll have to be pulled off the practice fields until, or if, he gets clearance.
The other three offensive lineman who signed with Southern in February — Edward Collins (6-5, 305), Shawn Sailor (6-7, 317) and Ryan Franks (6-8, 335) — are all initially ineligible. Late signee Leslie Davis, considered to be mostly a project at tackle after playing tight end in high school last season, is in camp.
Southern lost two veteran guards — senior Jacoby Collins and sophomore Adrian Banks — to grades since the spring. Like Keelen, those two also were recovering from surgeries and did not participate in spring practice.
The losses of Collins and Banks, combined with the potential losses of Keelen and Bridges, have prompted the staff to move senior tight end Trent Thomas to left tackle and push junior Rafael Louis inside to guard.
Keelen (6-3, 285) was with the defensive line last season but moved to the offensive line in the spring.
However, a shoulder injury on the first day of preseason camp a year ago kept him from practicing all season and the shoulder surgery kept him out of spring drills as he tried to make the conversion.
Oliver had been away at a summer internship. He attended Tuesday’s practice but did not dress. He observed drills in shorts, jersey and helmet but did not participate.
Richardson said Oliver may continue to be held out and won’t dress fully until possibly Friday or Saturday.
“He’s got a ways to go,” Richardson said. “He’s got to get acclimated to the heat and humidity. It’ll be a process of the next three or four days of working him in slowly.”
Sophomore tackle Allen Buckner has not practiced much — and was not with the team Tuesday — as he has gone down twice to heat-related problems during camp.
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter
Southern University could be losing redshirt freshman offensive guard Joshua Keelen even as the team finally got junior offensive tackle Ruben Oliver back in the fold Tuesday.
SU coach Pete Richardson said Keelen, who did not practice Tuesday, might be academically ineligible.
“It may be a situation that he may not be back,” Richardson said. “I’ll know in the next couple days.”
Meanwhile, true freshman guard Brian Bridges (6-foot-5, 330 pounds) will practice today for the last time until further notice.
Bridges has yet to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. By rule, with his paperwork submitted and a final decision yet to be made, he was allowed to practice for the first few weeks, but with school starting, he’ll have to be pulled off the practice fields until, or if, he gets clearance.
The other three offensive lineman who signed with Southern in February — Edward Collins (6-5, 305), Shawn Sailor (6-7, 317) and Ryan Franks (6-8, 335) — are all initially ineligible. Late signee Leslie Davis, considered to be mostly a project at tackle after playing tight end in high school last season, is in camp.
Southern lost two veteran guards — senior Jacoby Collins and sophomore Adrian Banks — to grades since the spring. Like Keelen, those two also were recovering from surgeries and did not participate in spring practice.
The losses of Collins and Banks, combined with the potential losses of Keelen and Bridges, have prompted the staff to move senior tight end Trent Thomas to left tackle and push junior Rafael Louis inside to guard.
Keelen (6-3, 285) was with the defensive line last season but moved to the offensive line in the spring.
However, a shoulder injury on the first day of preseason camp a year ago kept him from practicing all season and the shoulder surgery kept him out of spring drills as he tried to make the conversion.
Oliver had been away at a summer internship. He attended Tuesday’s practice but did not dress. He observed drills in shorts, jersey and helmet but did not participate.
Richardson said Oliver may continue to be held out and won’t dress fully until possibly Friday or Saturday.
“He’s got a ways to go,” Richardson said. “He’s got to get acclimated to the heat and humidity. It’ll be a process of the next three or four days of working him in slowly.”
Sophomore tackle Allen Buckner has not practiced much — and was not with the team Tuesday — as he has gone down twice to heat-related problems during camp.
< The work
A thunderstorm rolled in Tuesday and forced Southern’s only practice to be halted about 6:15 p.m. — roughly three-quarters of an hour into the session. With the skies getting more ominous, Richardson called it a day.
The Jaguars will go twice today, their last (of three) two-a-days, and go to one afternoon practice starting Thursday, when classes begin.
SU went later Tuesday, starting around 5:30 p.m., in order for players to have time to adjust class schedules and other matters before school starts.
“Really, this was a light practice anyway, trying to get ready for (today),” Richardson said.
Roll call
Junior RB Kendrick Smith returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday’s two practices. &hellip Senior WR RaShon Jacobs (ankle), who returned to practice Monday, did not dress Tuesday. &hellip Junior QB C.J. Byrd remains out after being in a car accident late last month. &hellip Freshman LB Marcus Clark (toe), sophomore G Chris Neal (heat), junior DT Frank Harry (heat) and Buckner did not dress Tuesday.
A thunderstorm rolled in Tuesday and forced Southern’s only practice to be halted about 6:15 p.m. — roughly three-quarters of an hour into the session. With the skies getting more ominous, Richardson called it a day.
The Jaguars will go twice today, their last (of three) two-a-days, and go to one afternoon practice starting Thursday, when classes begin.
SU went later Tuesday, starting around 5:30 p.m., in order for players to have time to adjust class schedules and other matters before school starts.
“Really, this was a light practice anyway, trying to get ready for (today),” Richardson said.
Roll call
Junior RB Kendrick Smith returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday’s two practices. &hellip Senior WR RaShon Jacobs (ankle), who returned to practice Monday, did not dress Tuesday. &hellip Junior QB C.J. Byrd remains out after being in a car accident late last month. &hellip Freshman LB Marcus Clark (toe), sophomore G Chris Neal (heat), junior DT Frank Harry (heat) and Buckner did not dress Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment