LSU’s relationship with reputed street agent Will Lyles has been blown out of proportion, Senior Associate Athletic Director Herb Vincent said Tuesday.
Vincent confirmed LSU paid Lyles’ business, Complete Scouting Services, $6,000 in December for tapes of junior college prospects from Kansas and California.
LSU is just one of many schools who purchase video and information from these businesses, Vincent said.
Vincent said LSU used 14 scouting services last season and as many as 17 two years ago.
“It’s more efficient for us than to send nine or 10 available coaches all over the country,” Vincent said. “It’s less expensive to hire these scouting services.”
Vincent rebutted a report published Monday by Thayer Evans on FoxSports.com. The report said Michael Bonnette, LSU associate athletic director and sports information director, told Evans that LSU stopped using Complete Scouting Services but declined to give a reason.
LSU never had a formal contract with Lyles’ business, Vincent said.
“Some of these reports say we’ve stopped using him or we’ve severed ties,” Vincent said. “The fact is, we bought a service from him. … We were provided with that service and paid for it.”
Bonnette disputed Evans’ report, saying LSU has not cut ties with Complete Scouting Services.
“I don’t know that we’ve severed anything,” Bonnette said.
Vincent couldn’t comment on the rumor about Lyles and LSU defensive line coach Brick Haley appearing together at Clear Springs High School to watch linebacker Trevon Randle, who signed with LSU last month.
“I’ve just seen media reports that they were seen together at a high school,” Vincent said. “But just being seen together is not an NCAA violation.”
Vincent said anything LSU has done with Lyles’ company has been within NCAA guidelines. If Lyles attempted to guide recruits to sign letters of intent, the school would be violating NCAA rules.
“We paid for a service, he provided a service and that was the extent of the relationship,” Vincent said.
 
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Contact Katherine Terrell at [email protected]