Dana Holgorsen Announces Spring Practice Suspensions And A Transfer

Prior to spring practice #6, Head Coach Dana Holgorsen provided an update to the team roster. Holgorsen announced that running back Jacky Marcellus would seek a transfer to another school, in an effort to find significant playing time. Marcellus, a redshirt junior who redshirted in 2013 and suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2014, saw little playing time last year behind Big 12 rushing champion Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell. Marcellus finished the year with 8 carries for 18 yards and a long of 8. The infusion of talented freshman running back Kennedy McCoy and JUCO National Offensive Player of the Year Justin Crawford along with the return of Rushel Shell meant playing time could be hard to come by. Kennedy McCoy has been praised by running backs coach JaJuan Seider as a quick study. Dana indicated Jacky was in good standing and Dana would support his decision.

Along with the announcement of Macellus' pending transfer, Holgorsen announced several suspensions. Sophomore receiver Jovon Durante, senior defensive end Larry Jefferson and senior kicker Josh Lambert have been suspended for the rest of spring practice due to a violation of team rules. Dana indicated that he believed all three would be back for summer and fall camps.

Running back Donte Thomas-Williams was also suspended for the remaining spring session due to "conduct detrimental to the team" and that his "future is yet to be determined".Thomas-Williams was a four-star recruit out of North Carolina in 2013 but has not been able to crack the starting rotation. After redshirting in 2014, Thomas-Williams was expected to challenge for playing time in 2015 but JaJuan Seider was quoted in August saying "He hasn't done enough in camp. Everybody's caught up with the run he made at the Greenbrier, but he hasn't done enough," Seider said. "He knows that. He's been out-played [by Elijah Wellman].You know Eli is going be great at (pass) protection. He's being physical, he's moving people at the point. He's going against three or four pretty good linebackers every day and he's winning a lot of those battles. And he may not go 15 or 20 yards, but at least when you hand the ball to him he's going to go 2, 3, 4 or 5 yards. He's a kid I'd love to had the ball to in short-yardage situations because he's going to go forward.I told him [Donte Thomas-Williams], ‘It's time for you to turn it loose. Get over the perception where you think you may be the guy, because you're not the guy.' He hasn't done anything here. He just needs to go be a player."