BATON ROUGE
La.
Nine Southern University football players including several
starters will not be with the program this fall, coach Pete Richardson said.
Linebacker D.J. Brooks, defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas,
offensive guard Adrian Banks, defensive end Jimmy Hollins and tight end Joshua
Nixon are academically ineligible, Richardson said on Monday.
In addition, defensive tackle Alston Smith, a transfer from
Temple, and defensive end Jowelle Bullock have left the program to go
elsewhere, though Richardson said he was unsure where.
Last month, Richardson said running back Larry Nichols and
cornerback Marcus Wilkerson were academically ineligible.
Losing so many key players on defense Brooks and Thomas were
starters and Smith expected to add depth to the interior of the defensive line
hits an area that was considered a strength in spring practices.
“It hurts the depth, which is going to be crucial the
first two or three games,” Richardson said.
