Tulane kicked off spring practice earlier Wednesday, and the Green Wave did so without one of its top players on the defensive side of the ball.
According to Tammy Nunez of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Royce LaFrance will not participate in any of the 15 spring sessions due to what was described as academic issues. In addition to LaFrance, wide receiver Leondre James will sit because of an unspecified violation of team rules.
The loss of LaFrance, though, is by far the bigger of the two.
Last season, LaFrance started 11 of the Green Wave’s 12 games; the only game he didn’t start was due to a first-half suspension in the opener, the second straight year he was hit with a two-quarter punitive measure for an opener. He led the team with six sacks, and was third in tackles for loss with 11.
In starting four of the 12 games in which he played, James caught 15 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. He was seventh on the team in yardage and tied for eighth in catches.