Since LSU’s 56-27 Texas Bowl win against Texas Tech in December, 11 players have left LSU’s football team
Why?
A few reasons. One, from 2013 through 2015, LSU had 20 players leave early for the National Football League Draft, leaving the Tigers with a roster full of youth and inexperience. But that trend changed last year when the Tigers lost a lone underclassman — then junior Jerald Hawkins — for the first time since 2010.
Now, the Tigers are dealing with a new issue: transfers.
The 11 departures since the end of the 2015 season are the most in the Southeastern Conference, according to Philsteele.com.
Five transfers were from the 2014 class, two from 2015, two from 2013, one from 2012 and one was a 2012 walk-on.
Former place kicker Trent Domingue, who was on the Lou Groza Award watch list, had the strangest case of them all.
Prior to fall camp in 2016, LSU didn’t renew Domingue’s scholarship and he ultimately transferred to the University of Texas in July.
In most cases, LSU coach Les Miles said he tries to retain his players from transferring, but noted that times are different now and recruits expect early playing time.
“Transfers are looked at so totally different,” Miles said. “It’s like changing your hairdresser. ‘Let me have another experience and see what it’s like.’”
Former offensive tackle George Brown Jr., who transferred Aug. 22, and wide receiver Tyron Johnson, who transferred Aug. 11, are the most recent players to move schools.
Johnson, who was a highly touted recruit, caught nine passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns last season, but decided to transfer to Oklahoma State for an offense that better suits him, his father told The Advocate.
“I was rooming with him during camp,” said sophomore wide receiver Jazz Ferguson. “When he told me that, I was surprised.”
Johnson, a New Orleans native, was one of four wide receivers — along with Trey Quinn (SMU), John Diarse (TCU) and Kevin Spears (Jacksonville State) — to leave LSU, which leaves the Tigers with junior Malachi Dupre and senior Travin Dural as the only receivers to have caught a pass last season.
Brown, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, redshirted his freshman year, but decided to leave LSU to enroll at the University of Miami.
Each player has different reasons for leaving the program, some may want more playing time while others may want a change of scenery.
“Today’s world is all about right now,” Miles said.
Former quarterback Anthony Jennings started the majority of the 2014 season, but after sitting on the bench all of the 2015 season, Jennings graduated early and is now the starting quarterback at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Miles said he “recognizes” all of the transfers from his team, but in his mind, they’re missing out on an experience.
“I do understand that,” Miles said about players that want to transfer schools. “In the same vein, they don’t get to finish being Tigers. It’s obviously their choice.”