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Harris leaving football team

CHAMPAIGN – And then there were five.

The Illinois football team's list of 1998 newcomers originally included seven junior college transfers.

The number dropped to six near the end of training camp when wide receiver Connie Moore was released for conduct detrimental to the team.

The next to go is cornerback/kick returner Johnnie Harris, who is leaving school to return to Mesa (Ariz.) Community College. Harris needs to complete academic work at Mesa, Illinois coach Ron Turner said Tuesday.

"He'll be back in January," Turner said.

Before the start of training camp, Turner thought all the junior college transfers would be eligible. But late last week, he found out Harris and wide receiver William Loyd hadn't been cleared to play. Neither player made the trip to Washington State.

"It was surprising," Turner said. "I thought (Harris) was taking care of everything, and it just didn't get done. It just didn't work out."

If Harris returns to Illinois in January, he'll have two years of eligibility remaining. Current Illini offensive lineman Matt Carlton did the same thing last fall, going back to College of DuPage to finish academic work.

Turner got some good news on Loyd: The Mesa product was cleared to play.

"We worked him mostly with the second team today," Turner said. "I wanted to see where he is."

Besides Loyd and Carlton, the other remaining junior college transfers are cornerback Johnny Rogers and wide receivers Terrance Smalls and Larry Davis. Carlton and Smalls transferred to Illinois in January.

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