After leaving LSU following several failed drug tests and not taking his class schedule very seriously back in July of 2015, the chances of defensive lineman Tavonte Valentine ever returning to the Tigers seemed slim to none.  Nearly a year later, those odds may have improved drastically.

The 6-foot-3, 345-pound 2014 U.S. Army All-American from Miami, Florida appears to have gotten his act together and is now attempting to find his way back into the good graces of LSU and head coach Les Miles.

Valentine recently spoke to The Advocate and indicated the coaching staff has been in communication with him in regards to a return, however no decision has been made at this point.

“It’s a possibility,” he said Monday. “It’s a 50 percent chance I can return. It’s a lot that’s undecided right now. I’ve got to think about it and talk to my family.”

LSU certainly could use a player of his size to clog up offensive lines in defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s new 3-4 based scheme. Freeing up linebackers to make plays is an integral part of the 3-4 and is the main assignment of the interior linemen in the defense. Valentine’s massive body suggests he would be perfectly suited to help out the Tigers’ defense.

After leaving LSU, Valentine transferred to Arizona Western College. While in Arizona, Valentine was dismissed following an arrest at which point he transferred yet again, this time to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.