Cliff Kirkpatrick

An appeal by the Oregon State football team for Darrell Catchings to receive a medical hardship wavier for last season was granted by the Pacific-10 Conference on Thursday, according to the Beavers.

Here’s a link to a longer story on this that runs in Friday’s GT.

Catchings will be a junior this coming season and have two seasons to play. The wide receiver played some last year but wrist and ankle injuries sidelined him most of the season.

He had never voluntarily redshirted, so the Beavers asked for last season to be his redshirt year. Pac-10 faculty representatives met at the Pac-10 basketball tournament in Los Angeles to vote on each school’s cases.

Part of the criteria for a medical hardship wavier are he never redshirted, he played less than three games and the injury was season ending. The Beavers felt he met all the criteria for the minimum eight votes going in.

Catchings began last season as the starting split end, the go-to receiver in the offense. However a sprained right wrist from a blocking drill was originally diagnosed as a fracture.

Right before surgery he was checked a second time and it was determined he could return after five weeks of rehab. He came back to play in two games before severe high ankle sprain.

Catchings was tackled after a catch on the sidelines against Arizona on Sept. 26 and rolled his ankle.

The Beavers hoped he could make a speedy recovery, but didn’t. By the time he was cleared to practice but it wasn’t enough time to get in shape for the Dec. 22 Las Vegas Bowl.

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Caught up with Oregon State football coach Mike Riley on Tuesday going into tomorrow’s signing day. There will be plenty of stuff to read about in Wednesday’s GT.

Here’s a link to the news of the day in notebook. Here’s a link to Riley’s thoughts on the 2010 recruiting class.

“You hope you don’t get any surprises,” Riley said of the wait until Wednesday. “We are waiting on a couple of decisions. And that’s about it. The main thing we don’t want is any surprises. We hope the committed players stay committed. And those still making decisions say Oregon State.”

Anyway, here are the news highlights:

CB David Ross is transferring to Portland State. … It’s unknown if WR Reggie Dunn will make it into OSU academically. Riley is not optimistic. “I don’t know if he’ll be in the spring,” Riley said. “That’s to be determined.”

It’s not settled who, or if, a scholarship player hampered by injury will be off scholarship this season. OT Wilder McAndrews is the likely person because it was looked into if he can be listed a physically unable to perform from his many wrist and finger injuries.

Appeals for the extra year for WR Darrell Catchings and QB Lyle Moevao won’t be known until at least March. Catchings’ case will be decided at the Pac-10 basketball tournament by the conference faculty reps. Moevao’s must be decided at the NCAA level.

“I try to remain hopeful and no more,” Riley said of Moevao’s long shot. “I’m not counting on it. I’ll being ecstatic if it happens.”

DE Mana Rosa (shoulder) had surgery. He was hurt in January in a freak accident. He’ll miss spring practice.

WR Micah Hatfield (leg) will be back in the spring. He’s about to get metal taken out.

CB Sean Martin (shoulder) will have surgery Thursday and is out of the spring.

OG Grant Johnson (shoulder) had surgery and is out for the spring. That opens up practice time for the young guards with a starter out.

S Lance Mitchell (knee) had surgery and will be ready for the spring.

OL Rory Ross (knee) had surgery and should be ready in the spring.

DT Mitchel Hunt (knee) is in a long rehab process and will be out of the spring. “It’s going to be a long haul,” Riley said.

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I caught up with former Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao to see how he’s doing recently. Read about it here.

Recovery from ankle surgery is going slow, but steady. The chances of him being ready for the NFL pro day in March or personal workouts with teams are slim. He’s trying to remain hopeful.

And yes, the story addresses his quest for a sixth year. And that’s still a long shot.

Whenever Moevao’s future pops up, I’m always asked about WR Darrell Catchings (sprained ankle). He too is asking the NCAA to make last season a medical redshirt year.

OSU says it has a good case to win. The verdicts for Catchings and Moevao come in March. If Catchings wins, he’ll be a junior with two seasons to go in the fall. If he loses, he’ll be a senior next season.

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