Holtz: Extent of Griffins injury still unclear

The long-term prognosis for sophomore wide receiver Sterling Griffin, who suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle during voluntary workouts on Monday, is still in question.

But USF coach Skip Holtz said Wednesday the team should know more in the next couple of weeks when the swelling subsides.

“A broken bone’s normally six to eight weeks, but we won’t know the extent of the ligament damage probably for about another 10 days until some of the swelling gets out of it,” he said. “We know we have the (broken) bone, but we don’t know the severity of the ligaments at this point.”

“(The doctors) told me we should have a better feel for it in about 10 days – exactly where it is at that point.”

Griffin, who started 10 games as a freshman last season, was headed into fall camp a first-teamer at slot receiver, according to the post-spring depth chart released in late April. Griffin caught 14 passes for 265 yards in 2009.

Despite the uncertainty, Holtz said he’s been told Griffin should play at some point next season.

“At this point, I really don’t know (the extent of the injury),” Holtz said. “Again, with the (broken) bone, it could be a 15-week type of injury, but then we’re not just dealing with the bone … It’s going to be longer. How much longer? I just don’t know. (The doctors) are expecting him to be back and play this fall, but at this point, we don’t have a date of return.”