By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

With 11 days left before the season opener against East Carolina, junior George Murray, sophomore Derick Ross and junior Kevin Hazel have emerged as the frontrunners for the starting receiver positions at the University of Cincinnati.

"It's getting more and more settled," UC football coach Rick Minter said Tuesday.

UC is attempting to replace three starters who caught 174 passes for 2,618 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. Of the three projected starters, only Murray, who has caught 27 career passes, has more than five receptions.

Freshmen Mike Daniels and Bill Poland and junior-college transfers Cedric Hawley and Brett Hamblen are also in the mix.

Hamblen, a Highlands High product, began his college career at Kentucky, then transferred to UC after playing last year at Pasadena City (Calif.) College.

"I'm getting used to playing receiver again," Hamblen said. "I've been playing safety the last two years."

Minter said Hamblen is among UC's top seven or eight receivers.

"He's a smart kid who knows what to do," Minter said. "He learns quickly. His outright bursting speed might be a little bit of a hold-back, but for the most part he catches everything you throw him."

BACKUP QUARTERBACK: Minter talked last spring about wanting to keep Murray, a converted quarterback, for exclusive use as a receiver this season, with Eastern Michigan transfer Collin Carey being used as Gino Guidugli's backup. But now he says Murray will play quarterback if the right situation arises.

Murray gives UC a running dimension at the position that neither Guidugli nor Carey can match.

"Right now, Collin has solidified the fact that if we had to play him he could do it," Minter said. "He could help us. That affords George the chance to keep getting reps at wideout.

"Now if something bad happens (to Guidugli), we might reshuffle the deck. George brings something to the table that no one else can bring, so we might keep him alive (at QB) regardless of Collin Carey's status just to change the tempo."

RIMINGTON NOMINEE: UC's Josh Shneyderov is on the preseason list of candidates for the Dave Rimington Trophy, which goes to the best center in college football. Shneyderov, a senior from Indianapolis, has started 25 of UC's 26 games the past two seasons.

Guidugli is on the list for the Davey O'Brien Award, which honors the nation's top quarterback, and Trent Cole is on the preseason list for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year award.

LOOKING FOR A PUNTER: With last year's punter Chet Ervin, now handling the placekicking duties, UC is in the market for a new punter. Freshman Jordan Lear, who was recruited to replace Ervin, so far has not met Minter's expectations.

"We've got to get more effort out of our punters," Minter said. "Chet might do both."

Minter said he also has tried walk-on Kyle Koester at the position and may give Poland a shot there. Both punted at Elder High.

MISSING IN ACTION: Sophomore Justin LaForgia, who at 6-5 would have been in the mix at receiver, did not return to UC this year.

"He just lost the desire to play," Minter said. "He was our long snapper, was in the mix at receiver and just decided to leave the program."

Minter said he tried to persuade LaForgia to stay, but LaForgia "just didn't have it in his heart to want to continue to play."

Two members of last year's recruiting class - linebacker Derrik Haithcock from Hillsboro High and running back Greg Moore from Dayton's Trotwood-Madison High, failed to qualify academically to play as freshmen.

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E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com