When LSU signed 23 players into the 2011 class on National Signing Day, LSU coach Les Miles expected each of those athletes to suit up in the fall.
That changed Tuesday when the NCAA didn’t clear signees Mickey Johnson and Alonzo Lewis.
“Those two guys were guys that certainly we have predicted to qualify that frankly fell short of what they need to get qualified,” Miles said.
Lewis, a wide receiver, has said he will enroll in a junior college to earn his eligibility, but Johnson, a defensive tackle, will take a different path.
Although Johnson still holds hope the NCAA will qualify him in time for fall — they offered him no timetable on when, or if, they will grant him eligibility — he has begun preparation for the worst-case scenario. For Johnson, that means returning to his high school, St. Paul’s, to take classes to boost his GPA and enrolling at LSU in January.
Johnson plans to grayshirt in 2011, meaning his scholarship will count toward the class of 2012. He said the time off shouldn’t be a problem.
“It will be a fresh start,” Johnson said. “I don’t feel like I’ll be missing