Williams Practices on Opening Day

Six months after declaring that his college playing days were over, USC wide receiver Mike Williams on Wednesday donned his No. 1 jersey and went through the first day of practice with the Trojans.

Afterward, when asked how it felt to be back at Howard Jones Field, Williams said, “Sort of like I never left.”

Williams’ status with the Trojans will not be determined until the NCAA rules on USC’s requests for a progress toward degree waiver and reinstatement of Williams’ eligibility, decisions Williams does not expect until after he completes summer classes next week.

USC, ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN preseason coaches’ poll, plays Virginia Tech in its opener Aug. 28 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Williams, a consensus All-American last season as a sophomore, announced in February that he would forgo his final two years of eligibility and turn pro. His decision came after a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the NFL’s mandate that a player must be three years removed from high school to be eligible for the draft was a violation of antitrust law.

Williams left school, hired an agent and began preparing for the NFL scouting combine.

However, after a federal appeals court issued a stay, and eventually reversed the original decision, Williams’ football career was in limbo.

Williams subsequently announced that he had severed professional ties with his agent and began documenting the return of all benefits he received. He returned to USC last month for summer classes with hopes of regaining his eligibility.

Williams said it was initially an adjustment to return to classes, but otherwise he has transitioned smoothly. He said he was not asked to address the team for critical comments he made about players in the campus newspaper before deciding to leave.

“Everybody knows how to handle that and move forward,” he said.

Williams said he spoke with Coach Pete Carroll and several USC assistants because he was concerned that -- with an NCAA decision forthcoming -- he would be taking practice repetitions from players who are certain to be with the Trojans this season.

“They were like, ‘You know what, just make the most of it. If they let you do it then you’re ahead of the game. If they don’t let you do it, then at least you had some time to be out here,’ ” Williams said.

Williams’ reinstatement became more pressing Wednesday after sophomore Whitney Lewis was declared academically ineligible.

Carroll said Lewis -- Williams’ projected replacement in the starting lineup -- and running back Chauncey Washington would take a “leave of absence” in the fall semester. Both will redshirt, possibly attend classes at community colleges and return in the spring, Carroll said.

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Quarterback Matt Leinart is wearing a rubber sleeve on his left elbow and coaches are limiting his throwing because of tendinitis that set in near the end of spring practice.

“I didn’t throw as much as I usually do in the summer so it’s just going to take a little while to get the strength back into my arm and just to get that motion back,” Leinart said. “For the first day, I was very happy with the way it felt.”

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Tight end Dominique Byrd is wearing a cast because of a broken left kneecap he suffered while playing basketball last week. Byrd, who is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, said he would wear the cast for two weeks, and then have an MRI exam when it was removed.

Carroll said that Gregg Guenther has not been contacted about possibly returning to play tight end. The 6-foot-8 Guenther, the starter at the end of last season, left the program to concentrate solely on basketball. He is now on a basketball scholarship.

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Carroll said offensive lineman Taitusi Lutui, wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, center Jeff Byers and linebackers Keith Rivers, Ryan Powdrell and Eugene Germany were among the newcomers who made good first impressions.... Linebacker Collin Ashton, who started two games last season, was awarded a scholarship. .... Defensive lineman Rashaad Goodrum, who played at Valley College last year, received a scholarship.... Senior quarterback Brandon Hance did not attend either the veterans’ morning workout or newcomers’ afternoon workout because of a virus, Carroll said. When Hance returns, he will wear No. 4, the jersey number he was stripped of by Carroll last season in a move to appease Lewis.