As Virginia coach Al Groh sees it, a football team needs at least seven serviceable offensive linemen to create an adequate playing rotation.

"Eight is preferable, nine is desirable and 10 is perfect," he said.

By his own estimate, the Cavaliers are far from ideal in that respect. Asked how many offensive linemen he felt comfortable using by the end of spring practice, Groh said, "Four."

Developing what the coach calls "playable depth" on the lines is a high priority before the Aug. 22 opener against Colorado State. Freshmen are being counted on to fill many of the backup positions on the offensive and defensive fronts. Other inexperienced players also must take on prominent roles, either as starters or reserves.

That's because four offensive linemen who started a majority of games last year are gone. So are all three starters from last year's defensive line.

The returnee with the most experience, defensive end Larry Simmons, quit the team last week.

UVa coach Al Groh shook up his offensive line toward the end of last season, inserting Mike Mullins and Elton Brown into the starting lineup at right tackle and right guard, respectively, and moving Kevin Bailey from tackle to center. Those three are back as the anchors of the line.

"I'm glad we got to play last year. That should help us this year," said Mullins, the only senior on either line. "It shook the nervousness off. We learned what it feels like to start."

For now, the new starters on the offensive line are redshirt freshman Brian Barthelmes at left tackle and sophomore Mark Farrington at left guard. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a true freshman from Freeport, N.Y., also is competing for a starting spot at left tackle and is expected to contribute immediately.

That makes six. To get a rotation of seven or more linemen, juniors Ben Carber, Micah Kimball and Jay Green are among those who need to earn Groh's trust.

Defensively, the three starters are all young: redshirt freshman Brennan Schmidt and sophomores Andrew Hoffman and Chris Canty. Three of the top reserves may be true freshmen: Kwakou Robinson, D.J. Bell and Braden Campbell. Also in the mix are junior Justin Walker and redshirt freshman Matt Stone. Groh jokingly compared the situation at defensive line with the parable of the loaves and fishes, in which little food fed thousands of people.

"We're trying to make nine add up to 14," he said.

Change with the Tynes. Kenneth Tynes, a star tailback at Centreville High last season, is practicing at receiver for the Cavaliers. Tynes rushed for 1,498 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, but UVa's freshman class is loaded with quality tailbacks, including Michael Johnson, Wali Lundy and Tony Franklin.

The 6-foot, 186-pound Tynes figures to get more opportunity to earn playing time at receiver. Groh said the adjustment should not be too difficult for Tynes considering he played in a single-wing offense at Centreville and is accustomed to catching snaps and pitches.

"He's got some dexterity for handling the ball and his running skills give him an ability to run after the catch," Groh said.

In a corner. Groh indicated that junior Art Thomas will start at one cornerback spot, but the other one is up for grabs. Jamaine Winborne is practicing with the first-team defense for now, but fellow junior Almondo Curry and sophomore Jermaine Hardy are vying for his job. Two true freshmen, Marcus Hamilton and Stefan Orange, also are practicing at cornerback.

"There are a lot of corners there," Groh said. "Sometimes that means there's good competition and sometimes it just means there are a lot of guys. I think there is some good competition there."

Extra points. Sophomore tight end Patrick Estes was carted off the practice field Thursday afternoon with an apparent leg injury, but he was back at practice Friday. … The Daily Progress is running a "bubble-gum card" of a freshman each day during training camp so fans can familiarize themselves with the newcomers. If you want bubble gum, however, go to the store. … Today's practices at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. are open to the public. Each session lasts about two hours on the fields behind University Hall.

Virginia senior forward Travis Watson has been named to the 50-member 2002-03 Wooden Award Preseason All-America Basketball Team, it was announced Friday in Los Angeles. The preseason team was selected in a poll conducted by the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Selection Committee. Former Cavalier Roger Mason Jr., who was drafted in the second round by the NBA's Chicago Bulls in June, was named to the same list at this point last year.

The list is composed only of returning players - transfers and freshmen are not eligible - though they are evaluated and considered for the midseason top 30.

The 6-foot-8 Watson led the ACC in four statistical categories in 2001-02: rebounding (9.7 rpg.), double-doubles (17), offensive rebounds (3.43 per game) and defensive rebounds (6.29 per game).

Watson, who averaged 14.1 points a game last season, also ranked fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage (149 of 284, 52.5 percent) and tied for 10th in blocked shots (26, 0.93 pg.).

He was a second-team All-ACC selection last season and was named to the 2001-02 United States Basketball Writers Association All-District 3 Team. He was also a second-team selection to the 2002 National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I All-District 5 Team.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan and last year's recipient, Duke's Jay Williams.

The 2003 award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All-America team and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award, will be held at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 13 and will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports Net.

UVa alumni. Mason, still hampered slightly by a sore shoulder, played in four games for the Bulls at the recently completed Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League in Salt Lake City. Mason averaged 6.5 points as he made 8 of 23 shots and four of his nine attempts from the 3-point arc. The Bulls' top choice, former Duke guard Jay Williams, led the team with 15.4 ppg. According to the organization, the Bulls and Mason are still in negotiations on Mason's contract. … Former Cavalier Chris Williams was signed Friday by the Sydney Kings, an Australian professional basketball team. Earlier this summer, Williams had played for the Orlando Magic as part of its summer league roster.

But it's looking like Blackstock, who came to UVa from Heritage High School via Fork Union Military Academy, is likely to make the biggest impact of any freshman linebacker for the Cavaliers.

Brooks failed to meet NCAA academic standards and is spending this school year at FUMA. Parham has a stress fracture in his lower back and is out indefinitely.

Blackstock, meanwhile, is healthy, confident and ready to get going. After making 29 sacks as a high school senior, when he led Heritage to the Division 5 state championship, then 22 more in one season at FUMA, he already has his sights set on Chris Slade's school and ACC mark of 40 sacks.

"I'm going to go for that record, you better believe it," he said. Blackstock is somewhat undersized at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, but he is exceptionally fast and has a knack for running down quarterbacks.

"He's a bloodhound. He chases 'em," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He's got that mentality. He's got a high motor."

Blackstock figures to see plenty of playing time at outside linebacker, particularly if Parham is out for long. The starters are junior Raymond Mann and sophomore Dennis Haley. Another sophomore, Bryan White, played well toward the end of last season.

"I'm still learning right now. I'm figuring out where to be and how to react on new plays," Blackstock said. "But as camp goes by, I think I'll end up being what they want me to be."

In limbo. Parham's situation is frustrating because he suffered the injury playing basketball in the spring of his junior year in high school. It was originally diagnosed as a muscle pull, so he did not rest or rehabilitate his back properly.

After his senior season, when he made 152 tackles and 19 sacks, he returned to the doctor because his back still hurt. He then missed several high school all-star games and has yet to return to the field. For now, he is confined to an exercise bike during practices.

So when will he be available? Who knows? Parham declined to discuss his injury, and Groh said there is no timetable for Parham's return.

"Here of late, he's begun a much more active rehabilitation process, with the objective being to mainstream him into the operation as soon as possible," said Groh, who shed little light on when that may be. However, Groh said, Parham, the coaches and doctors are "all in agreement the process can be accelerated."

Bedesem's back. When tailback Antwoine Womack was injured in the opening game last season, Virginia's running game went downhill. Likewise, when linebacker Rich Bedesem tore the ACL in his right knee in practice after the opener, UVa's run-stopping game suffered a major blow.

The 6-2, 236-pound sophomore is one of the team's surest tacklers, so his absence probably had something to do with the Cavaliers' porous run defense.

They allowed 202.8 rushing yards per game, eighth in the ACC and 94th nationally.

Bedesem returned in the spring and is now 100 percent physically, he said.

After averaging one tackle every 3.8 plays as a freshman, he is eager to hit someone again after redshirting last season.

"It was tough sitting and watching," he said. "I had played football my whole life and had never been injured. Watching on TV really hurt."

For now, Bedesem is slated to back up starters Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson. Groh said he likes Bedesem's versatility because he can play at either inside linebacker spot.

"Rich has a lot of talent," Crowell said. "He flies to the ball. He can definitely help out our defense."

Extra points. The Cavaliers do not practice today, but they have sessions at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day from Monday until Friday. All of them are open to the public. … Kase Luzar, a backup tight end last season, is now the starting fullback since Jonathan Ward quit football following several concussions. Brandon Isaiah is backing up Luzar. … Three Cavaliers weighed in at more than 300 pounds last week. Two of them are true freshmen: defensive end Kwakou Robinson (303) and offensive lineman Ron Darden (315). The team's heaviest player is sophomore right tackle Elton Brown (322).