The one of projected pillars of LSU’s 2021 football team has taken a hit.
Junior offensive left tackle Dare Rosenthal of Ferriday has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal, after violating a school policy, according to Jimmy Smith of Tiger Details.com and Brody Miller of The Athletic.
LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron, appearing on ESPN Radio’s “Off the Bench” show Tuesday morning confirmed Rosenthal’s departure from the program.
“He had some personal situations that he had to take care of,” Orgeron said. “It was a hard decision, but we wish him the best. We’re going to miss him.”
The 6-foot-7, 327-pound Rosenthal, who started in his team’s final three games last season, was the projected starter for this year’s Tigers who were set to return their entire starting offensive line from the 2020 season along with center Liam Shanahan, guards Ed Ingram Chasen Hines and right tackle Austin Deculus.
Rosenthal’s departure opens the way for junior Cam Wire of East Ascension High to start at left tackle this season. Wire started in Rosenthal’s absence last year and totaled six starts at guard or tackle, but Orgeron said the answers to providing depth at that position behind Wire are uncertain.
“Cam’s done a great job,” Orgeron said. “He was the sixth player going in last year. But guys have to step up. … I don’t know who’s the second left tackle, to be honest with you.”
Rosenthal was believed to have the kind of potential that may warrant a place in next spring’s NFL draft. He turned down an opportunity to leave school this past spring and return for what would have been his third year of eligibility.
Rosenthal left school briefly last year, missed spring and upon his return to the team, was suspended indefinitely in October.
After transitioning from the state’s top-rated defensive lineman out of Ferriday High, Rosenthal redshirted as a true freshman in 2018.
Rosenthal started in three of five games at left tackle in place of Saahdiq Charles as a redshirt freshman during LSU’s national championship season in 2019. He started for the Tigers in games against Northwestern State, Utah State and Mississippi State and wound up playing in 229 offensive snaps.
He was suspended from the team for an undisclosed violation before being reinstated the week of the Arkansas game which represented the last four games of the COVID-19 shortened, SEC-only schedule.
Rosenthal, who missed a total of 12 games in two years because of suspensions, could have missed a significant portion of the 2021 season had he chosen to remain at LSU, thus prompting his decision to pursue entering the NCAA transfer portal.
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