It appears the Travonte Valentine situation hasn’t been resolved after all.
Earlier this week, the the four-star 2014 signee’s high school was quoted as saying his former player, who had been awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse, had been cleared by The Association and would arrive on campus Tuesday. That didn’t happen, and may not happen until Saturday... if then.
While the defensive tackle has been cleared by the NCAA, he has yet, for whatever reason, to be cleared by the SEC. Valentine, however, has an idea why the league has yet to give a thumbs up.
From the Baton Rouge Advocate‘s Ross Dellenger:“I think there’s a few people that don’t want me to play in the SEC,” Valentine said, “and I’m pretty sure who it is, but I’m not going to say.”
Valentine suggested that he was referring to another SEC school.
The SEC office did not immediately return a message for comment on Valentine’s situation.
(SEC football: catch the intrigue and back-room backstabbings at the expense of 18 year olds!!!)
According to Dellenger, Valentine, who held scholarship offers from nine SEC schools before signing with LSU last February, and his mother were slated to meet and talk Thursday night about the situation. What was discussed hasn’t been divulged.
Even if Valentine enrolls in school Monday and begins practicing with the team, he won’t be permitted to practice in full pads during the mandatory four-day acclimation period. Such a timeline means there would be a very real chance Valentine wouldn’t have a full-pad practice prior to LSU’s opener against Wisconsin a week from Saturday. It also means this delay could have Valentine ticketed for a redshirt.
A four-star member of the Tigers’ 2014 recruiting class, Valentine was rated as the No. 3 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 7 player at any position in the state of Florida. He was originally expected by some to be a part of the line rotation as a true freshman.
(Photo credit: Rivals.com)