UPDATED: April 5, 2011

In the original version of this article, the information regarding Brice Hawkes’ enrollment status was misreported. Sue Edson responded she wasn’t sure about Hawkes’ current enrollment status, not his future enrollment status. The Daily Orange regrets this miscommunication.

Brice Hawkes said he is ready to move on after being removed from the Syracuse football roster on Friday.

‘Glad to have had the opportunity,’ Hawkes wrote in an email to The Daily Orange on Sunday. ‘Now it’s time to move forward.’

Hawkes would have been a sophomore linebacker on SU this season. Sue Edson, SU’s assistant director of athletics for communications, confirmed Saturday that Hawkes had been removed from the program. She said she was not sure if Hawkes planned to stay enrolled at Syracuse. As of Sunday, he was still listed as a student in SU’s student directory system.

Per his policy, SU head coach Doug Marrone did not comment on Hawkes’ dismissal. Hawkes’ exit comes on the heels of two suspensions in the past four months. Marrone suspended him before the Pinstripe Bowl, where the Orange beat Kansas State in Yankee Stadium.

And before the start of spring practice, Marrone suspended Hawkes again. Hawkes returned this week at SU’s practices after Marrone extended his suspension.

Hawkes was slated to start at weakside linebacker next season, according to Syracuse’s 2011 pre-spring depth chart. He is the second presumed starting linebacker to be kicked out of the program since December. Marrone quickly dismissed Malcolm Cater, another starting candidate, after Cater was arrested and charged with burglarizing three apartments on South Campus.

Playing mostly on special teams in the 2010 season, Hawkes recorded 12 total tackles in 11 games.

With Hawkes now gone, incoming freshman Dyshawn Davis emerges as the likely candidate to take over the weakside linebacker position. He will likely play alongside rising sophomore Marquis Spruill at middle linebacker and rising senior Dan Vaughan at the strongside position. Spruill started at outside linebacker in 2010.

That’s the way Syracuse’s first-team defense lined up in its scrimmage in the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Against the first-team offense, the defense struggled in the early going, as running back Antwon Bailey broke free for about a 60-yard gain in the scrimmage’s first play.

The offense scored three touchdowns in its first three drives. But the defense tightened up after those three scores. Later in the scrimmage, Davis recovered a fumble by SU wide receiver Marcus Sales.

And when asked if he was pleased with any specific efforts after the scrimmage, Marrone singled out one of his new starting linebackers.

‘I think Danny Vaughan made some nice plays out there today,’ Marrone said. ‘I thought he did a good job. I saw Marquis Spruill do a nice job. … Later on, you saw the defense making some plays. I don’t know if they were ready when we first came out there.’

Catalina medically disqualified

Fifth-year senior tight end Cody Catalina was medically disqualified from participating next season, Marrone said Saturday.

‘We’ve been sticking with Cody for a long time and hoping that he could come back,’ Marrone said. ‘But unfortunately, he won’t be able to come back and play for us. The doctors have made that decision. Cody’s been great. He’s been very positive.’

Catalina suffered a right knee injury and lower leg nerve damage in a game at Pittsburgh on Nov. 7, 2009. He sat out last season due to the injury. He underwent surgery in April 2010 to restore normal functions of the nerve in his leg.

The nerve has not fully recovered for Catalina to return to the field. Team physician Dr. Irving Raphael reviewed the injury and determined Catalina could not play next season, according to a release from the Syracuse athletic department.

He was originally recruited as a quarterback out of Ruffs Dale, Pa., in 2007. He played mostly on special teams in 2008 and then moved to tight end in 2009 spring practice. Before the injury, he played in eight games and started in four of them. He finished the season with 13 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Catalina will remain with the team next season, Marrone said. He will help coach tight ends, something he also did last season.

‘It’s unfortunate,’ Marrone said. ‘It’s part of the game. I think you move on. I think Cody’s ready to go to the next step and help us as much as he can.’

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on April 3, 2011 at 12:00 pm