State media days: Leavitt speaks ...

Back home from the state football media days, held in Tampa at the Quorum Hotel on Westshore. USF coach Jim Leavitt was up first this morning, talked for about a half-hour from the podium (I can never bring myself to use the word "dais") and then another half-hour or so with a smaller group out in the hallway. Not much in the way of news (read full transcript here, courtesy of USF's Mike Hogan), but I'll run through a few things ...

-- Leavitt said defensive tackle Terrell McClain is expected to play this fall, battling senior Julian Riley for a backup spot on the interior line. He expects most of the true freshmen to redshirt, but said he'll give a close look to big running back Richard Kelly of South Sumter, as well as Fort Myers' Tyson Butler.

-- Lots of questions about UCF and the end of the series in 2008, but no new answers, just Leavitt saying he doesn't want too many Florida teams on his schedule in any given season.

-- Leavitt, we learned, bought a Wave Runner this summer. Said he's gotten up over 60 mph, looks like a cartoon character with his hair blown back and sunglasses on. I'm glad anytime I hear a story from Leavitt that doesn't directly involve football, so this was a fun highlight to be filed under "Rare Morsels Of Personal Insight." I don't know that I'll see that folder again until January. ...

-- As we reported here Friday, Carlton Hill will be a free safety, where Leavitt hopes his athleticism can help the team. He hasn't hit anyone since high school, but Leavitt wants to give him a look there.

-- Running back Moise Plancher has been cleared this week for full contact in preseason drills, an encouraging step as he returns from knee surgery last year. Leavitt said offensive lineman Matt Huners, recovering from knee surgery this spring, is making as much progress as he could ask, though he won't be involved in any contact in the preseason. Leavitt is very confident Huners will play this year, though he doesn't want to set any kind of timetable for his return.

Other notes: Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt said that while they're not in his media guide, he expects former Bulls Antonio and Antwane Cox on his team this fall, as well as defensive end Josh Julmiste. Here's a name I haven't heard in like two years: former Armwood defensive back Mike Williams, who signed with USF in 2004 then left after one redshirt year to a California junior college. Wyatt said Williams will play this fall, though he will not have running back Ricky Ponton.

Not sure what my favorite moment from this morning was: perhaps FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger discussing the one new addition to his coaching staff, a colleague he identified as "Williams," only to be corrected by sports information staffers that his name is actually "Darryl Jackson." A reporter asked Schnellenberger if he had any advice for the next coach scheduled to speak, Jacksonville's Kerwin Bell, a first-year college coach. Perfectly suitable question, and Schnellenberger responded "I might if he asked me," and when the reporter followed by asking "What if asked you?" the 73-year-old turned away and looked for the next question. How hard is it to just pleasantly say "Work hard and surround yourself with smart assistants"? Better still is the media guide from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, which has no roster. It does have a picture of seven "players to watch" for 2007, though two of the players are identified in the caption as "player no longer with team." I can't make this stuff up. ...

Comments

[E.T. Thomas]

Great news about Plancher ... hope to see him in action against Elon.

[Mack]

I am really excited for the start of the season.

[Mack]

Any word on Quenton Washington? I felt this kid was the best DB in Florida last year. Way underrated.

[Dave]

How does Kelly compare to Anthony Allen? I hope that he plays next year, as he could be the goal-line back we need.

So Garrison and Dampier are out at DT, I take it. What about Hampton at DE?

Schnellenberger is just so old no one cares if he's a jerk. Kind of like many old men in Florida.

[cee]

if we lose to another unranked opponent on the road this year, i hope leavitt gets fired.

[Claudel]

Cee,

Stay off our blog!

[941]

cee, I think that's a very small 'we' you're speaking for.

[Dave]

Cee, why would Leavitt be fired when UCF loses on the road to USF this year? When you say "we," I have to assume you mean UCF, because USF won't be losing ANY games this year, at home, on the road, or in the BCS!

(The more you argue, the more optimistic and unrealistic you get!)

[cee]

"we" is the passionate fans of USF, not the casual fans that will embrace leavitt despite is downfalls. fact of the matter is that we are a BCS program located in [arguably] the hotbed of high school football talent and leavitt still cannot keep his hands off of 1-star recruits who do not show up for games against Kansas and Cincy. enough of the shenanigans.. i hope genshaft has a short leash on jim and pulls the trigger once he chokes away a game we should win (like he usually does every year)

[Dave]

Well Cee, I was a BeefStud, and still party with them. They don't get any more passionate than BeefStuds, and there isn't one of them that doesn't think Leavitt is the best coach in the nation.

[Claudel]

"We" are the passionate and intelligent fans of USF (athletics and academics) who KNOW Jim Leavitt has done a remarkable job at USF in a short amount of time. We also know that anyone who would claim that CJL should be fired is either an upset Knight because USF's football program has surpassed theirs or just plain ignorant because they don't understand how difficult (almost impossible) it is to get a seat at the table with the big boys (which USF is well on the way of doing, under the direction of Coach Jim Leavitt).

[Reality]

Wow, how did I know that DAVE is or was a Beefstud. Go figure.

Click on the enclosed clipping from the Oracle and you need all you need to know about the beefduds.

And just because you act like an idiot, it doesnt mean you know football. And yes, when you say that Jim Leavitt is the best coach in the nation, then thanks for making my point.

[BullBard]

Schnellenberger is a relic who relies on his glory days of the Miami Hurricanes to promote himself and has only whored his current owls team to BCS superiors, they have no chance of competing against, for income. I feel sorry for the players who bought his line of crap to play for that haphazard creation. If they want to sniff a title, they should return to AA.

[Dave]

No, being a BeefStud doesn't mean I know football. But playing for 12 years of my life does, pee-wee through High School.

Your link didn't come through, but I think you are referring to the actions of a few BeefStuds and a couple of drunks. I left the club before that just because I don't have time to do anything during the week, except show up at the games. However, that article was terribly biased against the BeefStuds. Most club members know that seats are first come, first serve, and the article doesn't mention how piss drunk the one kid was (not sick, drunk) and how aggressive his pals were.

I am passionate about all USF sports because the players are my friends and classmates. Justified or not, my school's reputation is on the line during sporting events. When we are successful at any sport, the entire university benefits. There is no question that our football team is successful, and there is nothing wrong with boasting about our success and having extremely high hopes about the upcoming season. USF has a commuter-school reputation, which isn't entirely justified, considering how many thousands live within 3 miles of campus. However, sports are the medium to overcoming that reputation and to creating a universal and positive collegiate experience for all students. When we get 25,000 students at RJS for a big game, you will know that USF has arrived not only as a football program, but as a top Southeastern university.

[Mike]

Of course it was "terribly biased" against the Beef Studs...they wouldn't leave the guy alone who was too drunk to stand up and had vomited all over himself. As soon as he was able to clean himself up and get his senses back, he stumbled out of the game. It should've ended there, but it didn't.

I can go on and on about that day, but it's all been done before. Suffice it to say that I am glad I graduated. At least that way, my Student Fees are not helping to support this group.

[G.A.]

I try to go as long as possible without the word "vomited" showing up on my blog comments. Gotta start the clock at "0 Days And Counting" all over again.