ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 1996 TAG: 9602140002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
TYPE: UVA FOOTBALL
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Virginia football coach George Welsh, who designated Mike Groh as his No. 1 quarterback before the start of spring practice last year, is not making the same commitment to 1995 backup Tim Sherman.
``I don't know what we're going to do about the quarterbacks,'' said Welsh in his first wide-ranging interview session since the Peach Bowl, ``but I have not told Sherman [he's No. 1] and I don't think he would expect to be given the job right now.
``I shouldn't say more than that because we've still got to settle on what we're going to do and then we've got to tell the players. I felt Groh was the best quarterback last year and he deserved the job. He played well for us in 1994, so why fool around?''
Sherman, who will be a fifth-year senior in the fall, and rising sophomore Aaron Brooks are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Welsh said Shannon Taylor, a former All-Group AAA quarterback from Roanoke, will play outside linebacker in the spring.
David Rivers, from Westside High School in Augusta, Ga., is the only quarterback among UVa's signees. The Cavaliers were not actively recruiting Rivers (pronounced RYE-vers) before he sent them a film after the season.
``I never heard anything about Rivers until the season ended,'' Welsh said. ``His name was on the board, but so were 10 other [quarterbacks]. When we saw him, he was a nice-looking kid, so we offered him.
``Between the time we asked him to visit and the time he committed, it was about one week.''
ANOTHER SIGNEE: Terrence Williams, a defensive back from Banneker High School, has become the 20th player to sign a letter-of-intent with the Cavaliers. UVa liked his speed and had a scholarship available when Stephon McQueen, who had committed, developed academic problems.
Sources say McQueen, a defensive end, may surface at Fork Union Military Academy. Many thought Fork Union would be the destination of 1995 UVa signee J.J. McQueen, no relation, but J.J. McQueen went to East Carolina after meeting NCAA academic standards in the summer.
ACADEMIC CASUALTIES: Welsh reported that Adrian Burnim, expected to start at one of the safety positions next year, has been placed on academic probation and will not have the credit hours available to play in the fall.
Welsh also said defensive tackle Tony Agee, a 1995 starter, and reserve defensive back Joe Rowe are not in school this spring and face an uncertain status. Burnim, son of a university administrator, plans to return for the 1997 season and will have two seasons of eligibility.
In the absence of Burnim, one of the heroes of the Cavaliers' game-ending defensive stand against Florida State, Virginia is down to three returning safeties. They are rising sophomore Anthony Poindexter and redshirt freshmen Wally Elegbe and Marcus Bullett.
``It's scary,'' said Welsh, who indicated that signees Johnny Ponder and Duane Fisher, both in the 6-foot-3 range, are the most likely safety prospects in UVa's recruiting class because of their height.
HIRING TIME: Welsh, who earlier lost running backs coach Ken Mack to North Carolina, said he hoped to fill the vacancy on his staff by the end of the week. There have been talks with Richmond assistant Mike London, whose brother played for the Cavaliers this year, and Army aide Andre Powell.
Welsh said he was not disturbed by the perception that UVa wasn't paying its coaches enough to keep them and ventured that Cavaliers were in the top 25 percent of Division I-A football teams in its salary budget. Earlier, strength coach Eric Fears went to Georgia for a raise estimated at more than $15,000.
``From what I understand, he got more than one of my position coaches who had been here 15 years,'' Welsh said. ``It's pretty tough to match that. I don't know if there are many [programs] like that. I would doubt it.''
NOTES: Welsh said Dave Gathman, Virginia's starting center at the beginning of the season, had knee problems that probably would prevent him from returning for a fifth year. Converted guard Tom Locklin is the projected starter. ... The Cavaliers had 19 in-state prospects on hand Saturday for a junior recruiting function. ... Welsh said his staff is still pursuing walk-on kicking candidates for next year, when punter Will Brice and place-kicker Rafael Garcia will be seniors. ... Insiders say UVa is working on a two-year, home-and-home series with Auburn in 1997-98.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB