BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU football defensive tackle Maason Smith will not be available to play in the Tigers’ season opener against Florida State in Orlando on Sept. 3, according to The (Baton Rouge) Advocate.
Smith will be suspended for one game after the NCAA determined that he had received an “improper benefit,” despite cooperating in the investigation, according to the report.
The improper benefit took place before the start of NIL, according to the report, as Smith could have been suspended for a game last season for the offense had he not torn his ACL in the first game of the year.
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When broached with the subject, an LSU spokesperson declined to comment.
Smith tore his ACL on the opening drive of LSU’s season opener against the Seminoles in New Orleans last season. This year’s rematch against Florida State was supposed to be Smith’s return to the field.
With Smith out of the lineup, LSU will have to rely on veteran defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory and transfers Jordan Jefferson and Jalen Lee.
Guillory is entering his fourth season with the Tigers. Jefferson transferred from West Virginia and Lee transferred from Florida this past offseason.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU’s Maason Smith suspended for Florida State game, per report
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