Former five-star recruit Clifton Garrett transferring from LSU
Former five-star linebacker Clifton Garrett is leaving LSU after one season with the Tigers and raises a number of questions for him and his former team.
Clifton Garrett has left LSU after one season, according to a report from Justin Hopkins of 247Sports that says the former five-star recruit will transfer to a junior college.
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Garrett was part of last year’s No. 2 ranked recruiting class that also included Leonard Fournette, Malachi Dupre and Jamal Adams. He ranked as the nation’s No. 28 player overall, No. 2 inside linebacker and the top player in the state of Illinois, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
The report says the junior college he will transfer to has not yet been determined, but if he’s interested in a junior college closer to home, the Plainfield, IL native could consider Glen Ellyn’s College of DuPage, but that’s the only junior college program with football in the state. He’ll be eligible to play again on the FBS level in 2016. He had offers from the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss, among others out of high school.
Garrett was expected to play a meaningful role on the defense last year but saw action in only three games, none of them against SEC opponents, and was slowed from the time he arrived in Baton Rouge.
Garrett was slowed in fall camp and unaccustomed to the Louisiana heat and humidity succumbed to the environment with heat-related illnesses, according to Ross Dellenger of The Advocate. However, the biggest impediment to Garrett seeing the field more last year was surgery he had to repair a torn labrum in January of 2014.
The operation that took place right before National Signing Day the following month was unbeknownst to many, according to Dellenger’s report in The Advocate.
He was expected to serve as the backup to Kendell Beckwith at middle linebacker this fall but his departure leaves LSU with only eight scholarship linebackers, including Ronnie Feist who is expected to replace Garrett on the depth chart.
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