LSU coach Les Miles confirmed Wednesday that linebacker Tahj Jones and three other reserve players – tight end Tyler Edwards, linebacker D.J. Welter and offensive lineman Evan Washington – will miss the season.
Miles also confirmed that backup defensive end Jordan Allen is out for the remainder of the season with an unspecified injury.
Miles declined to specify why Jones, Edwards, Welter and Washington will miss the season. A report Tuesday by the New Orleans Times-Picayune citing unnamed sources said the four players are academically ineligible.
The loss of these five players brings to seven the number of returning players LSU has lost for this season. That list also includes All-American cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who was dismissed from team in August for what reportedly was a failure of the school’s drug policy, and starting left tackle Chris Faulk, who suffered a knee injury in practice before last week’s Washington game.
Three LSU recruits – wide receiver Avery Johnson (younger brother of former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson), quarterback Jeremy Liggins and junior college transfer Fehoko Fanaika - were ruled academically ineligible before the season began. Incoming freshman wide receiver Travin Dural also suffered a knee injury in August practice.
Jones, a junior from Sulphur, was a projected starter at strongside linebacker. He’s since been replaced by junior Luke Muncie, who has started the Tigers’ first two games.
Johnson is playing this season at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. His father, Patrick Peterson Sr., said Johnson still plans to enroll at LSU in January.
Before the season, Miles said Jones was being held out pending an appeal on his academic eligibility along with running back Michael Ford. Ford was eventually cleared to play, but Jones was not.
Back on Aug. 30, Edwards tweeted: “My motivation has been weakened by the consequences of my failure…But this is a new beginning for me.” On Sept. 7 he tweeted, “Everything happens for a reason.”
