Cal football: Cecil Whiteside status up in the air, reportedly no longer with the team

One Cal site says that Cecil Whiteside is reportedly no longer with the Cal football program. Grant Marek of Cal Rivals has this tweet.

GM: Confirmed today that #Cal linebacker Cecil Whiteside is no longer with the program.

— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) January 9, 2013

UPDATE:

.@goldenblogs I confirmed it with a #Cal rep who spoke with coach Dykes directly, Whiteside is no longer with the program.

— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) January 9, 2013

Another Cal site says that the door is still open. Jim McGill of Bear Insider reports that Whiteside will meet with Sonny Dykes next week to determine whether Whiteside will stay with the program or remain a student at Cal. It does sound like Whiteside wants to be a Bear, so that's a positive sign.

Whiteside had been dismissed from the program this past offseason due to rules violations that were later rumored to be academic issues. He was reinstated this summer on a provisional basis that he get his academics back in order, and he didn't play at all in 2012. You have to wonder if Whiteside's status might have something to do with lingering academics. It'll be crucial for the new staff to right the ship academically and get students who excel both on the field and in the classroom.

For now, it looks as if Whiteside's status with the team is on thin ice.