That's one reason Rainbows head coach Fred vonAppen isn't sure just how many of the 105 allotted slots for fall camp he will fill.

Veterans on the bubble include running backs Morrie Roe, Franklin Saunders and Quincy Jacobs. VonAppen also said yesterday he's unhappy with defensive back Blase Austin's academic progress, and wasn't sure whether the senior defensive back would be with the team next week.

The second-year head coach added that newcomer Clyde Lewis, who was a proposition 42 athlete out of Sonoma State (Calif.), probably won't be eligible as well.

"That's why we signed too many recruits because we knew several of the junior college guys might not make it," vonAppen said. "As for the veterans, Franklin had a very difficult journey back from academic purgatory and might not be eligible this fall.

"Morrie is trying to complete 75 percent of his subjects in his major and Quincy should be OK. He never should have had to take summer school in the first place."

UH assistant coach Guy Benjamin, who oversees the academic phase for the team, said reports that Tim Carey wasn't academically sound were somewhat misleading.

"He has to complete some work in summer school, but I'm confident he'll be on the field," Benjamin said. "Some of our other veterans are in similar situations. If they do well this second semester of summer school, they should be fine."

Such was not the case for Lewis, who vonAppen was counting to help shore up a shallow secondary. The Rainbows also lost defensive back Dwayne Mathis of Ventura Community College and wide receiver Andre Johnson of West Los Angles Community College to academic problems.

"We look like we'll have about 20 new guys coming in by today," vonAppen said. "One guy we won't have is (defensive back) Brian Maney (of Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.) He's still having a back problem and won't join us until spring semester."

All of the newcomers were expected to be in today. Yesterday VonAppen addressed the newcomers already here at a special orientation. Some players were expected to participate in two informal practices yesterday and today.

The players begin practice for real on Thursday. VonAppen could hold two sessions the first day and one on Friday before the newcomers join the veterans on Saturday at Barbers Point.

"We're still discussing it," vonAppen said. "These newcomer practices are not always what they're cracked up to be. We want them to get familiar with how things go around here before we start worrying about football."