Two-sport recruit for Ducks waits for green light to compete.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

Derrick Jones has, however belatedly, been admitted to the University of Oregon, so now the question becomes when will he be eligible to compete for the Ducks?

It could be before the end of this track season. It might be in football next fall. Or it could be in neither sport until 2007.

`It's an interesting situation,' mused Mike Bellotti, the UO football coach.

Oregon is preparing information to be sent to the NCAA appealing the status of Jones as a transfer student, which would require him to have a full year of `residency' as a student at the UO before he could participate in a track meet or a football game.

That transfer designation is the result of Jones participating in a relatively few and early preseason football practices at USC in 2004, though he didn't attend classes at the school, before the NCAA determined him to not be eligible for that season.

Jones, listed at 6-feet-1, 186 pounds when he was signed to a football letter of intent by the Ducks last month, is expected to be involved in spring football practice when the Ducks begin workouts April 4. He could also work out with the UO track team when, or if, he chooses to during his first term of college as a full-time student.

In either sport, the 20-year-old Jones brings along impressive high school credentials. At Long Beach Poly High School, Jones was a prep all-American in football, with 49 receptions for 11 touchdowns as a senior after 16 scoring receptions as a junior, and he also recorded eight more touchdowns on kickoff or punt returns during those final two seasons of high school.

In track, Jones won the 200 meters at the California state high school meet as a senior and was fifth in the 100. His listed bests are 10.44 seconds for the 100 and 20.97 for the 200, times which would put him on top 10 all-time lists at Oregon.

But when will either UO team have him available for intercollegiate competition? And what is his physical conditioning? His last season of high school football was 2003, and his senior season of high school track was two springs ago. In the interim, he hasn't participated for an organized team in either sport.

Despite that, Jones falls under the transfer rule because he was involved in those football practices in August of 2004 at USC, where he initially signed a letter of intent and intended to enroll. Jones, however, was turned down by the NCAA Clearinghouse as a full qualifier academically, which prompted him to be denied admission to USC.

A USC spokesman said Jones was released from the team before classes began, and described his time practicing with the Trojans as `brief,' apparently a week or less.

An athlete is allowed to practice with a team for up to two weeks without that final NCAA Clearinghouse determination of eligibility, though Oregon has typically not allowed athletes to practice until their eligibility is assured by the NCAA.

`We're conservative in that,' said Bill Clever, an assistant director of athletics at Oregon for compliance and academic support. The reason for that, he said, is a Pac-10 rule that an athlete who practices with a team and is subsequently rebuffed by the NCAA Clearinghouse can be ruled permanently ineligible at any conference school.

Jones won't fall victim to that policy, but could have his eligibility to compete delayed for a year due to that short period with the Trojans.

The length of time Jones spent with USC apparently isn't a factor. `It could be just one practice,' Clever said, and the transfer rule would still be triggered.

After that initial rejection of his eligibility request by the NCAA and while attempting to rectify his academic situation, Jones became available to be recruited again by other schools. He subsequently signed letters of intent with Oregon in both February 2005 and again last month. He has now been cleared by the NCAA as a full qualifier, and was accepted for enrollment at Oregon beginning with spring term.

Since graduating from high school, Jones attended classes at junior colleges only on a part-time basis, which avoided starting his `eligibility clock' which limits an athlete to four seasons of competition in five calendar years from the first date he attends classes as a full-time student anywhere.

He will thus be a freshman when he begins competing for the Ducks, whether this calendar year or next in either sport. To be immediately eligible in either or both sports, the NCAA will have to approve Oregon's request for waiver from the transfer rule.

Clever said he has found `three somewhat similar' cases to the one Oregon will present on behalf of Jones where `relief was granted' to the athlete.

`Those cases were possibly stronger than ours,' Clever added. `It's hard to say how strong ours is until we start to draft the waiver.'

The transfer rule isn't as rigid on athletes in track and field as it is in football, so it is possible, Clever acknowledged, that Jones could be cleared for track competition this spring but not be eligible to play in a UO football game next fall.

`Most track athletes (who transfer schools) are immediately eligible but we'll have to explore whether that exception is available to a multi-sport athlete' like Jones, Clever said.

The appeal to the NCAA is expected to be filed in April, Clever said, and `we would expect to know in May' what the ruling is. There are avenues for appeal, Clever said, if it is unfavorable to Jones.