Decision Time Is Looming For USF's Selvie

Sunday's game against Connecticut was the final home game for 21 University of South Florida seniors. Was it also the final home game for USF junior defensive end George Selvie?

Projected as a first-round pick in April's NFL draft, Selvie maintains he won't make a final decision on his future until after USF's season is completed.

After Sunday's victory, he said he's "leaning toward staying" for his senior year at USF. But then he added the decision whether to return or declare early for the NFL draft "is complicated."

"I'm leaning toward staying," Selvie said. "I love being around here. I've been here for a lot of the firsts, so why not stay until the end?

"It's complicated on making a decision. There are a lot of things that go into it."

Some factors, obviously, are where Selvie would be selected. Selvie is projected as a first-round pick by several mock drafts and rated the 26th-best draft prospect by Scouts.Inc.

"Pass rushers are a premium in the NFL and Selvie is one of the top people in college football in that category," said NFL draft expert Mike Detillier, with M&D Draft Report and SaintsReport.com. "Of the juniors, he would be one of the top two ends along with Florida State's Everette Brown, who is slightly ahead at this stage.

"I love Selvie's athletic ability and his initial step off the snap. He's a super quick guy. He has learned how to use his arms and hands well to play off blocks and he has excellent closing speed to the quarterback."

Detillier said because this is not an especially great year in the NFL draft for senior defensive ends, that would help improve Selvie's draft stock.

NAME CHANGE: It appears USF is not headed to the St. Petersburg Bowl after all.

Instead, the Bulls' postseason destination will be the magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl. magicJack signed a one-year agreement for the title sponsorship of the inaugural bowl.

BIG EAST BOWL OUTLOOK: With USF set for the magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl against a Conference USA team (most likely Southern Miss, East Carolina or Memphis), here are the projections for the remaining Big East bowls based on Cincinnati winning the conference and Rutgers defeating Louisville on Dec. 4.

BCS/Orange Bowl - Cincinnati; Sun Bowl - West Virginia; Meineke Car Care Bowl - Rutgers; Papajohns.com Bowl - UConn; International Bowl - Pittsburgh.

On Monday, Sun Bowl executive director John Folmer told an El Paso, Texas, television reporter that the bowl had a deal with the Big East to take 6-6 Notre Dame instead of a Big East team.

Once the report surfaced, the Big East quickly dismissed it.

"There is no new deal in place with the Sun Bowl and the fact remains if the Big East has six teams with winning records 7-5 or better, the Sun Bowl, by NCAA rule, cannot select Notre Dame at 6-6," Big East associate commissioner Nick Carparelli said.