When the Spring Transfer Portal opened and Houston safety AJ Haulcy decided to enter his name, he quickly became one of the most sought after players. The LSU Tigers have been plagued by issues in the secondary especially at safety and the thought of adding Haulcy was a no brainer and the biggest addition the Tigers were able to make.
If you're Dabo Swinney, you have to account for Haulcy and find a way to keep him from making a massive impact. Well, the easiest way to do so is by ensuring he won't play the first half of the LSU Vs Clemson game.
In AJ Haulcy's final game at Houston, he was ejected from the contest in a brawl that was initially listed as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The issue is that because of Haulcy getting in a fight, the ruling was changed and it carries a suspension for the first half of the next game meaning Haulcy won't play the first half for LSU.
LSU safety A.J. Haulcy will not play in the first half of the Clemson game, the NCAA tells ESPN. Per the NCAA: “In the last game of the 2024 season, A.J. Haulcy was ejected from the contest, initially listed as unsportsmanlike conduct…. pic.twitter.com/OknHWrcw26
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 28, 2025
The NCAA said the following about their decision to keep Haulcy out of the opening game of the season:
"Penalties do carryover to the following season and follow a player when transferring. There is no appeal process for college football players ejected for fighting."NCAA
According to Hunt Palmer of Louisianasports.net, the SEC and LSU weren't made aware of the potential ejection and that Clemson called the issue in to the NCAA.
If Dabo Swinney and his staff truly called in the suspension that no one knew about, it's truly an incredibly soft move but, also great gamesmanship on his part. The Tigers have talked about how impressive Haulcy has been since arriving and will now need to adjust their gameplan just days away from the game.
With Haulcy out of the lineup the Tigers will have several options available to fill the void at safety. Jardin Gilbert was a starter for the Tigers last season and was going to play a ton but, he'll likely now play the entire first half. DaShawn Spears got some experience for the Tigers as a true Freshman and could end up seeing some time in this game as well.
More LSU Tigers News: