Brian Kelly provides update on LSU safety AJ Haulcy ahead of Clemson game
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Brian Kelly is going into his latest high-pressure season opener with question marks surrounding both of his projected starting safeties.
The LSU head coach told reporters on Thursday that the team is waiting on clarification for whether senior transfer AJ Haulcy will be able to play in the first half of Saturday night’s showdown at No. 4 Clemson.
Haulcy spent the past 2 seasons at Houston, and he was ejected during the second half of his final game with the Cougars last season for fighting.
“We’re waiting on clarification. We were informed of his situation on Wednesday. We’re practicing him, preparing to play him and we’ll wait for further guidance,” explained Brian Kelly. “It’s a little bit of conference and certainly NCAA rulings in terms of what the circumstances are at the end of the game. Our conference has been great, providing the support, and we’ll wait for a decision and plan accordingly.”
Unfortunately for Kelly, who has lost his first 3 season openers at LSU, there is more uncertainty in his secondary going into Saturday’s mega showdown. His other projected starting safety, Tamarcus Cooley, is in a similar situation as Haulcy but is expected to be able to start, according to a report from The Advocate on Thursday.
Shortly after Kelly met with reporters, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Haulcy will not be available to play in the opening half. According to Thamel, the NCAA does not allow for a formal appeal process in instances of ejections for fighting.
That ordeal has set up a precarious situation for No. 9 LSU and Kelly as they prepare to head to the other Death Valley for the primetime game that will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
