Williams Might Sit Out for Now

USC Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that receiver Mike Williams might not practice again with the Trojans until the NCAA rules on his status, a decision that is not expected until the middle of next week at the earliest.

“If it’s going to help him focus and all that to be out here, we’ll get him out here,” Carroll said. “If not, I’m not going to let him out here. I’m just going to keep him away from it.”

Williams, a consensus All-American last season, has practiced sporadically with the Trojans since they opened training camp on Aug. 4.

Williams completed work for two summer-session classes Tuesday and participated in the Trojans’ first scrimmage, but he was not present for two workouts on Wednesday. Carroll said Williams was attending to administrative matters related to his enrollment for the fall semester.

USC has petitioned the NCAA for a progress-toward-degree waiver and reinstatement of eligibility for Williams, who left school in February, announced he was turning pro and hired an agent. Carroll said USC and NCAA officials were in contact regarding procedure and time frame for a decision once the school supplies its final packet of information regarding Williams.

USC opens Aug. 28 against Virginia Tech in the Black Coaches Assn. Football Classic at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

“For us, it will be just fine not having him out here and just waiting until he knows that he’s fully committed and we know that we got him,” Carroll said.

Carroll said Williams’ situation had not been a distraction for the Trojans, but he was concerned that it could become one.

“I kind of like the thought of, we’ve got to figure it out without him right now and really put the pressure on the guys to step up.... If Mike is able to come back and all that, then we know what we’ve got,” Carroll said.

*

Defensive end Chris Barrett, who had surgery on both shoulders last season, did not practice and will have an MRI exam on his right shoulder. Barrett was injured when 370-pound offensive lineman Taitusi Lutui fell on him.

Carroll said results from an MRI exam on tight end Dominique Byrd’s broken left kneecap were negative and that he was expected to sit out six to eight weeks.