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Ahmad Brooks is recovering from minor knee surgery. |
It might be easier to list the players who are healthy and will participate, but here’s the list of those UVa coach Al Groh said today will be out the entire spring practice period because of injury and illness: LB Ahmad Brooks (knee), DE Brennan Schmidt (shoulder), NT Keenan Carter (shoulder), tailback Michael Johnson (hernia), TE Tom Santi (shoulder), K Connor Hughes (mono) and LB Bryan White (back).
In addition, LB Vince Redd will sit out the spring to focus on academics, LB Kai Parham (shoulder) and G Brian Barthelmes (wrist) will be limited during drills, QB Christian Olsen (foot) will miss the first three days of practice and QB Marques Hagans probably will miss tomorrow’s practice to attend a funeral.
Yipes.
But if Groh is distressed by the number of absences, he wasn’t letting on today. Sounding chipper and upbeat, he said it would be “fun” and “challenging” to organize practices with a depleted roster at many positions.
“If we were playing USC on Saturday, I’d feel a little differently about it,” he said, smiling.
The good news, Groh said, is that all of those players are expected to be back for fall training camp. Most are rehabbing from relatively minor surgeries performed after last season. Brooks, for example, had some “loose debris” cleaned out of his knee, Groh said.
Still, it’s unfortunate for players like Carter, Johnson and Redd, all of whom are expected to play larger roles in 2005 and could have used the spring to develop. It also leaves the Cavaliers extremely thin at certain positions, including linebacker, tight end and nose guard, for the next month.
Two positions most in need of improvement, WR and DB, are well stocked for the spring with no key injuries. “We could throw and cover for hours,” Groh said.
Which is why Groh says he expects a productive spring, no matter who is on the field.
“A lot of times in the spring you improve your team in pieces and in parts, not by the whole, because some elements of the team are missing,” he said. “But if you improve the pieces, then you can put the whole back together again.”
No position switches
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There are no plans to move Tony Franklin to safety. |
Groh said he doesn’t plan on moving any players to new positions this spring. Yes, that includes junior Tony Franklin, a two-year starter at cornerback who has gained 12 pounds during offseason workouts. He has the size and hitting ability to play safety, but he said he won’t be making that switch.
“That’s just something I’ve heard from fans,” Franklin said. “I haven’t heard that from any coaches.”
One player, Noah Greenbaum, will focus more on kicking than punting this spring. Starting punter Chris Gould , a standout kicker in high school, will not be asked to handle both duties this spring; he’ll stick to punting.
While there are no position changes, there is one name change. WR Bud Davis asked to be listed in the roster under his given name, Theirrien. “He’s still old Bud to me,” Groh said.
Anderson set to return in fall
Former starting WR Ottowa Anderson sat out last season on academic suspension and won’t participate this spring, but Groh said “we expect him to join us in training camp and be ready to go.”
The future of G Ron Darden is more uncertain. “He’s got a medical condition that has been perplexing to lots of people who have looked at it,” Groh said. “For his comfort and well-being, we hope that resolves itself, and then we’ll look at the football issue.”
‘Hoos not coming back?
The spring roster revealed that some players with eligibility remaining will not be coming back in 2005. That group includes WR Imhotep Durham, DE Matt Stone, LBs Alex Hall and Adam Rhodes, and P Sean Johnson. Durham and Johnson saw significant action last season but were unlikely to play much this year. All are fourth-year students likely to graduate in May.
Spring schedule
Starting tomorrow, the Cavaliers will hold 15 practices in 22 days, culminating in the spring game on April 23.
Five practices are open to the public: Friday, April 1 (5:45 p.m.); Saturday, April 2 (noon); Sunday, April 3 (2:45 p.m.); Sunday, April 10 (TBA) and Sunday, April 17 (TBA).
(For complete coverage of the Cavaliers, please sign up for Sabre Edge. Edge subscribers can listen to audio from Al Groh’s press conference and interviews with Marques Hagans and Brennan Schmidt.)
