Is The LSU Football Roster Turning Into A Revolving Door?
By Scotty Nola
Change is a constant in football as in any other part of life.
LSU fans are certainly used to that. Our program loses it’s share of seniors to graduation every year, and LSU fans have grown accustomed to seeing underclassmen leave for the NFL early at a higher rate than any other school.
That’s what happens when you recruit talent.
We also see players leaving after 2-3 years when they get buried so far down the depth chart it becomes obvious they will never start for the Tigers.
They tried to play football at the highest level and rather than give up when it doesn’t happen they seek a second chance elsewhere. Nothing wrong with that.
This year players have been leaving for the wrong reasons all too often.
Three LSU players are released after posting bond at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison (Photo by Heather McClelland, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate)
In the last year, 7 LSU players have left the program for reasons other than graduating or going on to the NFL: Trey Lealaimatafao, Rashard Robinson, Travonte Valentine, Avery Peterson, Clifton Garrett, Melvin Jones and Maquedius Bain.
Avery Peterson is the only player on that list who didn’t have some sort of cloud over him when he left, with the possible exception of Clifton Garrett who gave no real reason for transferring.
Peterson, the younger brother of All-Time LSU great Patrick Peterson; is the one player most LSU fans were really saddened to see leave. He just got caught up in the numbers game at WR.
More from Editorials
- Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday Poised For Career-Defining Season
- GRADES: Pelicans Make their Mark on 2016 Draft
- Different Year, Same Questions for QB Harris and LSU
- How Danny Ferry Can Reverse Course on the Pelicans’ Future
- Saints Need to Avoid Being “Sucker Punched” in 2016
The rest of the list tells a pretty negative story.
It’s clear now that Trey Lealaimatafao was an absolute head case who should never have been brought on campus.
LSU Spring Practice 2015
After seriously injuring himself punching through a window in the team weight room, he stole a bike on campus from a fellow student and was caught riding it on campus in plain sight (not very bright).
Lealaimatafao was finally kicked off the team after beating up a woman (punching her square in the face) in a bar parking lot, after she tried to stop him from looting the body of her unconscious boyfriend.
Before leaving, coaches felt he had the talent to play in the NFL — a talent that now appears to have been wasted.
Rashard Robinson and Melvin Jones were kicked off the team for academic reasons, and the door was at least somewhat open for their return if they cleaned their act up. It has now come out that Robinson was the anonymous individual who robbed team QB Anthony Jennings — setting off the series of events that led to Jennings’ suspension.
Clearly a serious character issue here.
Both of these suspensions hurt the team.
Jones was the projected starter this year before his suspension, and anyone who saw Robinson play thought he would be another Tigers 1st round draft choice.
Nov 23, 2013; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers defensive back Rashard Robinson (21) catches the ball for an interception against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Texas A&M 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Travonte Valentine was rated one of the top 100 high school players in the country as a recruit, but once LSU coaches saw him practice against SEC caliber players it soon became apparent he had been badly underrated by all the recruiting services.
The feeling was that if he harnessed his incredible potential he would be a can’t miss Top 10 NFL draft pick. After multiple failed drug tests and an apparent refusal to attend classes at all, he has used up his second chances and will not be returning to LSU.
Maquedius Bain became the most recent player to leave the team when he announced his transfer to Pearl River Community College. He was one of the players caught up in the Rashard Robinson-Anthony Jennings situation and had been suspended for most of summer.
He is likely leaving over grades. Bain was expected to push for one of the starter spots on the Defensive Line or be a key cog in the rotation there before his suspension.
Live Feed
Ole Hotty Toddy
There is a common theme in too many of these situations. Two common themes, really.
With the exception of Peterson and Garrett, all of these players were being talked up as future NFL players. And with the exception of Peterson and Garrett, all of these players left after circumstances exposed the true colors of their character.
In a program with as many players moving in and out as LSU has, it’s not realistic to expect them all to be Eagle Scouts.
Not everyone is perfect, and young men with a propensity for taking aggressive action will sometimes lose discipline and find the wrong outlet. That is to be expected.
With this many problems in a short amount of time, you have to wonder if the coaches are doing enough homework on the recruits they offer.
Dec 30, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LP Field. Notre Dame won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
It’s easy to be blinded by talent and all of these players have an abundance of talent. They can’t help the team if they can’t stay on the field, and in retrospect it seems the red flags must have been apparent in at least a couple of these cases.
Apparent and ignored, that is.
LSU has one of the greatest recruiting staffs ever assembled by a college football program, a group that compares favorably with Pete Carroll’s legendary staff at USC and the groups Butch Davis and Bobby Bowden put together at Miami and Florida State in the 90’s.
Like LSU in recent years, those programs were legendary not only for recruiting but for developing large classes NFL players. They were also able to turn that personnel success into on field championships, a treat every LSU fan wants another helping of.
LSU coaches are going to continue to recruit top talent, and the LSU Football roster will continue to be a prime feeder for NFL teams looking for new talent. They currently sit number one in the 2016 recruiting rankings; and despite Dylan Moses’ decision to reopen his recruiting, they are well placed to make another run at the top class in 2017.
However —- in order to turn top classes into top achievers, they need to get much better at vetting players………