Would the last LSU underclassmen please hit the lights on the way out?
As first reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the father of offensive lineman Chris Faulk confirmed to WWL-TV that his son has decided to leave the Tigers and make himself available for the draft. The dad said “the family left the decision completely up to Chris, and he filed his paperwork [for early entry into the draft] with the league today.”
LSU has yet to issue a release on Faulk’s future, although could be due to a backlog of early declarations.
The move is somewhat surprising as Faulk suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice the week after the 2012 opener. In his first season as a starter in 2011, Faulk played well enough to earn second-team All-SEC honors as well as project as a potential first-round pick in the future.
As far as how he’s progressed from what was labeled as a significant injury, the Times-Picayune writes that “LSU Coach Les Miles said earlier in the season Faulk was ahead of his rehab schedule and would be ready for spring practice.” How the injury will impact his draft stock remains unclear.
With Faulk’s apparent departure, there are now 10 Tigers with eligibility remaining who have decided to forego it for the NFL. Included in that total are six defensive starters. Below is the complete list of what’s believed to be a record number of underclassmen departures for a single school in a single year:
-- Chris Faulk, offensive lineman
-- Michael Ford, running back
-- Bennie Logan, defensive lineman
-- Barkevious Mingo, defensive lineman
-- Kevin Minter, linebacker
-- Sam Montgomery, defensive lineman
-- Eric Reid, defensive back
-- Tharold Simon, defensive back
-- Spencer Ware, running back
-- Brad Wing, punter
(Photo credit: LSU athletics)