If a sudent has concerns about taking three years at a JC, maybe a greyshirt year for his first year would work. This means you take less than 12 units a semester. While slowing down the overall progress, it does give you a head start on the 60 units required to transfer without the elgibility clock starting. At the JC's I am familiar a grey shirt was allowed to practice with the team, granted did a lot of gopher tasks was also invloved.