LSU will be without first-team preseason All-SEC defensive tackle Maason Smith for the season opener against Florida State.

Smith was suspended by the NCAA earlier this week for participating in an autograph signing in the summer of 2021 — one month before such a thing was legalized when the NCAA lifted its rules on student-athletes being able to earn money off their name, image, and likeness.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, LSU filed multiple appeals to the NCAA. At least two were rejected. Coach Brian Kelly told Dellenger the NCAA rejected the program’s attempt to use NIL’s legalization as a reason.

No grandfather clause, LSU was told.

Kelly told Dellenger the school also looked into scheduling a Week 0 game on the fly in order to have Smith available for a top-10 showdown with Florida State on Sept. 3.

“We looked at all the options out there, certainly, and wanted to make sure that we examined everything that was possible,” Kelly told Dellenger. “We looked at everything. We looked at a Week 0 game to bring in another opponent prior to Florida State. We looked at every imaginable option, but time ran out.”

Smith was a force as a freshman in 2021, finishing with 4 sacks and 5 tackles for loss in 9 games. He tore his ACL during last season’s loss to Florida State in the opener and missed the rest of the year.

According to Dellenger, the NCAA’s ruling on his suspension has been final since last fall, but because Smith wasn’t medically cleared to play, the suspension carried over to the start of this season.

“The appeals didn’t turn out in our favor, and we are going to abide by the ruling,” Kelly told Dellenger. “We accept the ruling. We’re going to move on and get ready for Florida State.”

No. 5 LSU and No. 8 Florida State kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC inside Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, next Sunday.