James Wilson isn't gone just yet.
The freshman offensive lineman, who had requested to transfer from UF, suited up Wednesday for the first day of spring practice despite saying earlier that he wouldn't do so.
Wilson - rated one of the top high school players in the nation in 2007 - sat out last season after two surgeries on his left knee. He said he made the decision to practice on Tuesday.
"I didn't want to have any regrets," he said. "I'm a competitor. I've heard a lot of rumors saying that I'm not, and I just wanted to show people what I do and get better in the long run."
Wilson spent time in non-contact drills with fellow injured lineman Phil Trautwein and hopes to be full-go in two or three weeks.
Wilson had braces on both knees but said he was healthy after having microfracture surgeries to repair meniscal damage, the same procedure former Ohio State basketball player and current Portland Trail Blazer Greg Oden underwent.
"I've been able to put a lot of pressure on it and pull and run and everything, so it's looking good right now," Wilson said.
A teammate of quarterback Tim Tebow at Nease High, the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder was rumored to be considering a move to Wake Forest, but now he says he will delay his choice to stay or leave until after spring football.
"I'm still thinking about it, but I want to keep an open mind and have a chance to play with the guys," he said. "I'm still weighing my options."
Wilson has requested a release from his scholarship several times, but head coach Urban Meyer has relented, saying he will wait until the end of the semester to give Wilson time to think it over.
"I didn't really feel close to the team with being hurt," Wilson said. "I guess you could say I had a little bit of a negative demeanor about it. As I get out here it's starting to look better. Everybody gets along great and treats each other with respect. I love pretty much everybody on the team."
PIERRE-LOUIS MOURNS FORMER TEAMMATE: UCF wide receiver Ereck Plancher, who died after a run at a team workout Tuesday, was a teammate of UF cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis at Naples Lely High.
Pierre-Louis said he heard the news in a phone call from a Lely teacher.
"(Plancher) would keep everybody on the team straight," Pierre-Louis said. "He was an underclassman, but everybody would look up to him. He was a good kid."
BELICHICK AT PRACTICE: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick attended UF's practice Wednesday to meet with Gators who are headed to the NFL Draft.
Belichick later joined Meyer at the UF basketball team's win against San Diego State. The two are friends and have frequently called each other for advice in the past.
