Lamar gets Hillsborough pipeline going again

Hillsborough High coach Earl Garcia got his undergraduate degree in 1974, then went back for his master's in 1983, so there's an extra pride in his voice when he talks about Terriers running back Lindsey Lamar committing to play football for the Bulls next fall.

Garcia laments that 2008 was the only season in USF's history that there wasn't a Hillsborough grad on the Bulls' roster, but is excited to have Lamar continue the tradition. Just 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, Lamar brings track-star speed -- he'll run sprints at USF when he's not playing football -- and could give USF the big-play running threat that Florida has found in smaller backs like Jeff Demps and Percy Harvin.

"He'll be the fastest player on the team by his second year on campus," said Garcia, who thinks Lamar's first contributions could come as a kick returner. "With his speed, he has unlimited potential at USF."

Lamar chose the Bulls over offers from South Carolina and Duke, among others, and could help the Bulls with two big recruits in next year's senior class. USF has already extended offers to Hillsborough QB Tarean Austin, as well as receiver Terrence Mitchell. Garcia said Austin has about a dozen offers and Mitchell about eight, but he said he expects USF to be a top contender for them -- former USF center Joe Sipp is the Terriers' offensive line coach.

-- Former USF quarterback Marquel Blackwell, who resigned as head coach at Freedom on Monday after an arrest on a charge of driving under the influence, is at the national coaches' convention in Nashville, Tenn., and is seeking a fresh start as a graduate assistant at the college level.

-- More recruiting: I caught up with 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive tackle Carlos Savala, who's at College of the Desert in California, and he said USF remains a strong possibility, ahead of Hawaii and Kansas. Savala, who visited USF last month, was scheduled to visit Kansas, but had to postpone due to a death in the family. He said he'll try to reschedule before making a decision, but when pressed for a front-runner out of his three finalists, he said "I guess USF." The commitment of Steven Jacques helps the Bulls' needs on offensive line, but Savala is still a key because he could come in and compete for a starting job right away.

Comments

[DELdaBULL]

This "The Truth" guy reall speaks it. Stop rotating guys so much coaches!!

[The Truth]

Regardless of you self-anointed football gurus' assessment of Greg Gregory's handling of the abundance of talent in USF's backfield, the fact remains that all these potent incoming running backs will be subjected to the same moronic philosophy as the current stable of talented runners:

RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE

The stupidest four words ever strung together in the English language.

Our coaches could have Jim Brown back there, and they would still find a way to only get him 10 carries per game while rotating the others between two or three others.

I reiterate......these tremendous prospects mean NOTHING as long as USF's offensive philosophy remains the same.

[Al]

Eugene and Bobby were last seen looking at schools in TN, GA, and FL.

http://www.eckerdyouthalternatives.org/?vendor=G&keyword=problem_child_program

[Ken]

No word on Marve, and we're now past the mid-point of the second week of the semester. If he's going anywhere, it must be somewhere else.

[Adam]

Didn't Ford only fumble once this year? It was a huge one, but I can only remember him losing 1.

I also remember him running it down Pitt's throat when he was given a chance late in the game.

[Come on...]

No Sandro didn't you know the coaches are also suppose to lift the weights for Ford, and run for him too....they're also suppose to absorb all his hits.

Look at the 2007 season, go back and look at the box scores for the Pitt, Syracuse, and UL games, Ford got 15-24 carries in each game, plus some receptions. Gregory said if he had been healthy he would have been our 20 carry a guy all year. Hell they were trying in the first game against UT-Martin, where he had 14 carries before nearly breaking his ankle.

[Sandro]

Al,

You a right that the coaches can coach better especially on the offensive side of the ball. But I am pretty sure if Ford is always healthy he would be playing a lot more. I have not seen Mike Ford healthy all of last year. He needs to prepare himself better in the offseason. Same thing with Jamar Tyler great running back when he is playing and healthy but he is almost never healthy. We can't really on a running back that has not made it passed a single game without being injured. Have to be healthy in order to play and if you’re not then you can't play, it is very simple.

GO BULLS !!!

[G.A.]

Nobody in the Marve camp is saying much. I last talked to his high school coach on Saturday, and he said that USF was "certainly a possibility," but one of 10-12 schools he had expressed an interest in. Syracuse, strangely, was one he mentioned by name.

I don't know that the Marves have decided what they want to do this spring, let alone where they want to do it. He can circumvent Miami's blocking by going to a junior college for a year , get an AA and go anywhere he wants.

[Norb]

The "Bear Bryant rule", that's a new one for me but does make sense.

[Paisa el Toro]

Word out of Miami is that Marve has been in talks with Oklahoma State.

Read for intent people. He simply misstated. I know you are smart enough to figure that out, but I'll help you by noting that he meant football scholarship where he put track--since that was the whole point of his reply. If you were just trying to be sarcastic, I apologize for missing the comedic value implied.

[Greg Auman]

Hey, meant "football scholarship" and said track. Fixed. Thanks.

who cares about marve?

[Chalko]

Hey Greg,

Any updates on Robert Marve??? I heard if he decides to stay in state he will go to USF. Your friend.

Chalko

[G.A.]

Norb, there's a rule in place informally known as the "Bear Bryant rule." It states that any college athlete who is part of the football team can only get a scholarship through football. That keeps athletic departments from using 20 track scholarships for "sprinters" who also happen to play football.

So Lamar will be at USF on a football scholarship. You can walk-on in multiple sports, but even if you were to genuinely earn a scholarship in another sport, you can't accept it unless you stop playing football.

[Al]

Oops! Did they bench Grothe....

[Al]

Sandro

Fumbling is something that can be helped by COACHING.

Benching a player after he fumbles the ball once is ridiculous. Did they bench after throwing an interception? Grothe constantly throws picks.

Face it, Bulls offensive coaching (if there really is any)leaves a lot to be desired. Who was it that said something like..."we don't have time to coach players"?

[Norb]

Is Lamar coming to USF on football scholarship or track scholarship? Not sure how dual-sport scholarship works but would be a double bonus if USF gets him on track scholarship so that another football scholarship remains available.

[Ken]

Garcia says Lamar will be the fastest on the team by his SECOND year??? And who will be faster next year, in his first year? Mitchell, Samuels? I don't think so.

[Sandro]

I don't like Gregory either as the offensive coordinator but is it his fault that Mike Ford is constantly injured or is it Gregory's fault that Mike Ford constantly fumbles the ball? I mean the play calling from Gregory has been horrible, but some of these guys need to be able to stay healthy to play and also once given a chance actually be productive rather than constantly fumbling the ball.

GO BULLS !!!

[DELdaBULL]

Unfotunately, the truth is correct

[The Truth]

Don't get your hopes up, Bulls fans.

What are the odds this great running back is handled any differently by our coaching staff than the highly talented Mike Ford & Jamar Taylor.

To quote Dr. Phil:

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."

My money says Greg Gregory ruins this kid's potential.

[DELdaBULL]

this guy Lamar can fly. Nice get.

[Windbane]

Crim and Scruggs would be nice as well.

[Windbane]

We don't need Marve.

Great to hear that we've offered some Hillsborough guys for next year and that they are considering us.

Savala is probably the top guy we need at this point. Savala, Hosley, and JPP and at least 1 of the 5 LBs we are in the running for, because all of them are highly rated, is my wish list right now.

[Sam Diaz]

Do we at least know if USF has offered Marve a scholarship? I have no idea why Marve wouldn't stay home to be near his dad and start for 2 years at USF for a shot at a couple of BCS bowls in a spread offense tailor made for his talent. That is what they said they wanted. On paper it is a no brainer.The suspense is killing me!

[Greg Auman]

"FREEDOM!!!!"

You guys sound like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Yes, you're absolutely right. Good catch. It's fixed now.

[FREEDOM]

Greg, it's Freedom... not Wharton.

[Little Timmy]

I hope Lamar can get immediate playing time. We need another OT. Good to see USF keeping the talent in their backyard.

Wharton? Didn't Blackwell coach Freedom.

[craig]

Great signing...SPEED is always good..
any word on where MARVE is going..???