Often times, when a new season is about to begin, the focus can be on the players who are not eligible or physically able to play rather than those who are.
That was clearly the case at Indiana Thursday when the Hoosiers took the field for their first practice of the 2015 preseason camp. On a rain-soaked and dreary day, a lot of the talk focused on players who had question marks surrounding their status.
From an injury standpoint, IU only really appears to have two significant injuries early on and one of them has already been ruled out for the season. Former Fishers (Ind.) wide receiver J-Shun Harris suffered an ACL injury early in the summer and has been ruled out for the season. IU coach Kevin Wilson made that announcement at Big Ten Football Media Days last week.
The other injured player is former Fort Wayne South Side cornerback Donovan Clark. The true sophomore continues to be slowed by a back injury and there is talk around the program that he may end up redshirting this season. It may still be a little early to make that determination but that’s not good news for an IU secondary that was already basically starting over. Clark was seen as a player who could very likely step right in and start from the beginning of the season. We’ll keep an eye on Clark in the coming days and weeks and monitor his situation.
With IU already down a player at the wide receiver position, it's easy to see why there is concern over the situation of Camion Patrick. Patrick, the sophomore wide receiver from East Mississippi Community College, is another player that many believe could step in and start right away at wide receiver. He has good size, good hands and good speed. He was in uniform and at practice going through drills on Thursday but as of the official start of practice he has yet to be cleared academically.
Patrick has had academic problems before. Out of high school he committed to play for Tennessee but ended up going the JUCO route because of his grades. All indications were that he had a good year in community college with his studies but there is still a red flag that is preventing Patrick from being given academic approval at the university level at IU. It is believed it has to do with the university needing confirmation that Patrick passed a summer school class at EMCC. One would think that could be a simple phone call that would shed light on the situation. But the reality is there is never anything simple when it comes to clearing players academically.
And these things are never done quickly.
If Patrick is cleared to play, the 6-3, 225-pound receiver would have three years of eligibility with the Hoosiers. And with a capable quarterback like Nate Sudfeld delivering Patrick the ball, he could have a solid year.
On the flip side, while it’s not a huge deal yet, the longer this one lingers could be a cause for concern. There is still just over two weeks before school begins at IU on Aug. 24. Prior to that things will be fine as long as Patrick is ultimately cleared to play. But when school arrives that’s when things will get more tense. The week after that is IU’s first game week leading into the season opener at home against Southern Illinois.
Wilson said Thursday that his team will have a few days of helmets only before having the first practice in pads on Monday and the first two-a-day on Tuesday.
Btownbanners will be in Bloomington every step of the way as the Hoosiers prepare for the 2015 season. Every day there is availability we’ll be on hand to bring you the news of the day.
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