Freshmen Desmond Bryant and Russell Schober have been suspended for the duration of the 2005 football season for an unspecified violation of team rules, Harvard coach Tim Murphy confirmed yesterday.

“The bottom line—and I’ll leave it at this—is that they’re both great kids who just broke a team rule,” Murphy said. “Beyond that, it’s strictly a confidential team matter.”

While the circumstances surrounding Bryant’s infraction remain unclear, Schober was arrested by officers from the Cambridge Police Department on Jan. 13 at 1280 Mass Ave., in all likelihood prompting Murphy’s decision.

Though both will be eligible to return to the team in 2006, their absences, particularly Bryant’s, will set the Crimson back significantly.

In his first year, the 6’6” Bryant emerged as one of the Ivy League’s rising stars, recording 22 tackles—eight for a loss—and four sacks. He would most likely have started at defensive end opposite captain Erik Grimm in 2005.

And now, despite promises that he will be welcomed back for his junior season, Bryant—who was reportedly sought by Clemson, South Carolina, and other Division I-A programs coming out of high school—is admittedly weighing his options, including a transfer that would enable him to play in the coming year.

“I have considered that,” he said.

THUMBS DOWN

Sophomore Corey Mazza, the Crimson’s leading receiver in 2004 with 51 catches for 773 yards and seven touchdowns, underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left thumb on Feb. 9.

Aggravated while he was throwing a block in Harvard’s 34-24 win over Cornell on Oct. 9, Mazza’s injury—and a similar one to his right thumb—initially required only a soft cast and scarcely affected the wideout during his prolific campaign.

“Corey should be fine according to our team doctors,” Murphy said. “He really gutted it out last season...This should alleviate the problem.

At present, the extent of Mazza’s availability for spring ball remains uncertain, though Murphy said that he expects the Thousand Oaks, Calif., product to participate in non-contact drills.

“My best guess,” Mazza said, “is to be in spring ball with a huge cast on it and try to catch and run routes as best I can.”

Barring any setbacks, Mazza should be ready for the season opener at Holy Cross on Sept. 17.

THE QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL