Highly touted LSU freshman defensive tackle Travonte Valentine is still awaiting clearance from the SEC office about his high school academic standing, but he might not play this season even if he gets the go-ahead.
Valentine, who at one time was purportedly 6-3 and 325 pounds, showed up in Baton Rouge extremely overweight, according to a source. The combination of needing to lose weight and the SEC’s ongoing review of his academic credentials makes him a likely candidate to redshirt this season.
Valentine received approval from the NCAA Clearinghouse late last month, but the SEC is continuing to look into his academics from Champagnat Catholic School. He led the Miami-area program to the Florida Class 2A title last season.
Champagnat is a 247-student school for grades 6-12 and is located next to a used-car dealership. It’s drawing increased scrutiny in college football circles.
Another source familiar with Valentine’s academics is stunned that he received approval from the NCAA Clearinghouse. The source said Valentine had very few high school credits entering his junior year.
“If Travonte Valentine qualifies there’s something wrong,” the source said. “It’s not humanly possible."
http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/09/15/dorial-green-beckham-oklahoma-domestic-violence
