LSU coach Ed Orgeron isn’t sure whether the NCAA will reduce the suspension of cornerback Kristian Fulton when his appeal is heard on Aug. 9, so in the meantime, LSU is going to get a look at as many players at cornerback as possible.
Fulton will receive “quality” reps with the first- and second-team defenses until a decision is announced by the NCAA, Orgeron said Friday on the eve of LSU’s first practice of fall camp.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Orgeron said. “He’s going to be out at practice like we’ve always done. Hopefully he gets a chance, but I don’t know if he does. I’m excited to see him.”
Freshman Kelvin Joseph will work at cornerback at least until the NCAA appeal is heard. Orgeron said earlier this week that Joseph would likely move back to safety, his natural position, if Fulton is ruled eligible to play this season.
For now, both Fulton and Joseph will take part in the wide-open battle to start opposite All-American Greedy Williams in the secondary. Graduate transfer Terrence Alexander and sophomores Jontre Kirklin, Kary Vincent and Mannie Netherly are the other corners in the mix.
TIGHT SPOT
Tight end Jamal Pettigrew is likely to miss the entire season due to a knee injury, as Orgeron confirmed on Wednesday.
LSU hasn’t moved any players to tight end yet to take his place on the depth chart, but Orgeron identified a potential candidate Friday: freshman linebacker Dantrieze Scott.
“Maybe, we talked about it,” Orgeron said when asked about the potential position change. “Maybe he’ll be one of those guys. We’re going to look on it.”
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Scott played both defensive end and tight end at Ferriday High School and signed with LSU as an athlete. His positioning will be worth noting when LSU takes to the practice field for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
Orgeron said LSU wants to see what the team looks like on the practice field and evaluate some of the newcomers before making a decision on who may move into Pettigrew’s place.
“We need to see how those guys are doing,” Orgeron said. “After three days of camp, after the first day of pads, we’re going to make a decision. We haven’t seen Dantrieze. We’ve seen him on film. We’re going to see what he does. See how physical he is, and I think he will be.”
MEYER INVESTIGATION
Joe Burrow isn’t the only new face at LSU with ties to embattled Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this week, you’ve probably heard that Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave while the university investigates allegations that Meyer knew one of his assistant coaches was repeatedly accused of domestic violence and kept him on staff anyway.
New LSU safeties coach Bill Busch was a defensive quality control coach under Meyer in 2015, a central year in the bombshell story reported by Brett McMurphy. Orgeron was asked Friday if Busch has been contacted by Ohio State regarding the investigation.
“I’m not able to comment on that,” Orgeron responded. “I don’t know that. I’m not able to answer that. He hasn’t talked to me about it at all.”
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