STARKVILLE — LSU’s dismissal last week of Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu has created positive repercussions for Johnthan Banks.
Sports Illustrated added Banks, a senior cornerback for Mississippi State University, to a revised All-America list after LSU kicked Mathieu, a junior defensive back nicknamed the Honey Badger, off the team Friday for breaking an athletic department rule.
Banks, a 6-foot-3 cornerback, is widely considered the best cover corner in the league entering this season. He already had been nominated to five national award watch lists and received first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from at least six major publications. His 12 career interceptions are tied for second in school history, and are just four behind Walt Harris.
“Everybody has confidence in John (and) John has a lot of confidence in John, which is great,” MSU co-defensive coordinator and linebackers
coach Geoff Collins said Monday. “Like the ‘Revis Island’, or whatever they have with the New York Jets (referring to current All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis of the NFL), I think we have that with John. It’s nice to have such talented corners.”
LSU compliance officials confirmed Monday that Mathieu won’t be able to return to the LSU football team.
“He’s permanently ineligible to play football at LSU,” LSU senior associate athletics director for NCAA compliance Bo Bahnsen said in a telephone interview with Gannett Louisiana. “That’s definite. That’s what was said Friday.”
Student-athlete privacy laws prevented Miles and other LSU officials from saying why Mathieu was kicked off the team. LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva said Mathieu, who was suspended for a game in 2011 after failing a drug test, violated an athletic department rule and had his scholarship revoked. Last season, Mathieu missed LSU’s 45-10 victory against Auburn University after he was suspended for a game for failing a drug test.
ESPN.com national college football reporter Joe Schad reported Monday that sources close to Mathieu were contemplating his possible return to LSU after he sat out the 2012 season. LSU’s repeated denials ended that speculation after the ESPN.com report surfaced.
LSU’s substance abuse policy states a player is “permanently ineligible” after the result of a “third violation” of a drug test.
Mathieu, who also participated and was considered one of the best kick returners in the country, was the winner of the 2011 Chuck Bednarik Award that goes to the nation’s No. 1 defensive player.
Banks was named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik
Trophy, among others. NFL mock drafts list Banks as the only SEC defensive back who could be selected in the first round of next April’s draft.
“I think the one guy people are talking about in terms of NFL is John (Banks), and rightfully so, and now that doesn’t mean we don’t have multiple NFL guys on this roster, but John has seen his profile gone up with the work he’s put in before this year has started,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said.
Grindle returned to team Sunday
MSU freshman defensive back Xavier Grindle was back on the MSU practice field Sunday after missing few days after Mullen said he was “homesick.”
Mullen confirmed Sunday that Grindle, who is from Columbus, left Starkville on Friday morning. A television report said he was planning to sign with Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, which is less than an hour from Grindle’s home.
“It wasn’t like he stormed out or it was a big discipline issue,” Mullen said. “A young guy, all these freshmen, I see it with all of them. We’re always on constant high alert to watch and see who the next midnight runner is.”
WDAM, a station in Hattiesburg, reported Sunday said that an MSU assistant coach contacted PRCC coach Tim Hatten and asked on behalf of Mullen that he not contact Grindle.
“We’re going to guide kids, but that’s kind of something with more the family,” Mullen said. “When it’s not a football or school or any of that issue because the first question I asked was, ‘Are you unhappy?’ And he’s like, ‘No.’ ”
Grindle rushed for 2,103 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior at East Marion High School.
Collins refuses to named first-string LB unit after Monday’s closed scrimmage
MSU linebackers coach Geoff Collins said at least seven players rotated in on his defense’s first-string unit Monday morning in a closed scrimmage.
The Bulldogs’ second-year assistant refused to name a starting unit for the Sept. 1 season opener against Jackson State University, saying decisions hadn’t been made.
“That’s a fluid, fluid question first-unit,” Collins said. “I would say there were (six) guys that played with the ones today. We’ve been rotating guys in and out with every group, and every position actually. Each one, each kid regardless of what year, what position, they’ve played every position this preseason.”
Collins said Deonte Skinner, Matt Wells, Cam Lawrence, Benardrick McKinney, Chris Hughes, and Ferlando Bohanna were first-team options for the three starting linebacker positions.
“The big thing we didn’t have at this time last year is you need to have 22 players that are legitimate SEC players that came come in regardless of the situation,” Collins said. “Last year, I don’t know if we had 22 guys every game that could do that. I think we’re really close to having that depth you need to be able to compete and be really successful in this league.”
Reports from The Associated Press were included in this report.
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