The long saga involving former USC cornerback Josh Shaw might yet have another chapter to be written.
Speaking to reporters on his weekly postgame conference call, Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian indicated that Shaw, a senior captain who was suspended in late August, might rejoin the team later this season but said that nothing is imminent.
"It's still in a process," Sarkisian said, according to the Orange County Register. "It hasn't gotten to a point where I (can) make a decision one way or the other. The process has taken longer than anybody anticipated. We're hopeful. We'll see what happens."
Shaw was at the center of a bizarre story in which he claimed to have injured his ankles while jumping down from the second story of an apartment building to save his nephew from drowning. It was later revealed that the story was a complete fabrication and that Shaw was involved in an LAPD investigation into an incident at a downtown housing complex.
According to the Register, the decision for Shaw to return to the team could very likely be held up by that same investigation, which is reportedly a domestic violence case.
USC was counting on Shaw to be a lockdown corner coming into the season but has been forced to rely on a number of young, inexperienced players instead to mixed results on defense.
Because he is a fifth-year senior, Shaw's next time on the field might very well be the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next year. Although he has been rehabbing his ankle injuries and working out on his own, he hasn't been a part of the team and should have plenty of questions to answer about why he lied to school officials.
"For all of the work that Shaw needs to do with various administrators, coaches and teammates at USC, he must diligently work to convince NFL coaches and scouts that he isn't a character risk in the locker room," NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote. "Evaluators are leery of bringing a 'problem child' into the program, so they will vet Shaw's story to see if there are deeper issues that need to be addressed by the redshirt senior."
Either way, time is running out for Shaw to rejoin the team. The Trojans have a bye this week before finishing the season with their final three games against Cal, UCLA and Notre Dame.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
