The eligibility of LSU receiver Russell Shepard -- both immediate and long-term -- remains a question mark as the Tigers inch closer to that opening-weekend game against Oregon.
Prior to opening fall camp, coach Les Miles predicted that Shepard would be able to play against the Ducks and insisted the “issue”, which is rooted in what is currently being classified as a “living situation”, wasn’t really much of an issue at all.
“No, he won’t have to sit out. He’ll come to practice. We wouldn’t expect there to be any issues there,” Miles said in July.
Of course, the NCAA might see it differently.
But at least part of Miles’ inner Nostradamus has proven to be accurate as Shepard has been practicing with the Tigers. In a story from the Baton Rouge Advocate, Shepard says he has already spoken to numerous individuals regarding the compliance issue and the situation is now out of his hands.
“I had (the LSU compliance office) come to me, and they realized there was a problem,” Shepard said. “It’s something that just popped up out of nowhere and the next thing you know there’s all this type of mayhem.
“They talked to me and got all the information that they wanted to get out of me.”
Now, Shepard just has to play the waiting game. The receiver couldn’t comment if he had spoken to the NCAA, but he did say he expected a resolution on the matter prior to the start of the season.
“I don’t think it would ever get that serious, but the NCAA has a job and their job is to protect athletes as well as the universities and they’re going to do the best possible thing for the NCAA and college football,” Shepard said.