LSU coach Miles says little about Mathieu situation
LSU coach Les Miles refused to say anything definitive regarding the possible return of standout cornerback Tyrann Mathieu to LSU next season, other than to reiterate that he won't be playing for the Tigers this season.
"I am not in any way going to speculate. He will not be on this football (team) this year -- I guarantee it. That's a fact. I have no idea beyond that," Miles said Tuesday in his first public statement on the issue, according to GeauxTigerNation.
Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU team, and he considered transferring to a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) so he would not have to sit out a year. However, more recently there were suggestions that Mathieu might sit out the year and try to rejoin the LSU team in 2013.
"I certainly am rooting for Ty and whatever his future is, but I'm not focused on him. I've got games to play," Miles said. "I've got 104 guys that I have to be ready for. I know this is a very key time in (Mathieu's) life, and I hope the decisions he makes are in his best interest for the long term. We'll help any way we can."
If he were to transfer to an FCS school, Miles said Mathieu "would not necessarily need to go through me" to do.
Asked whether he had given Mathieu a release to transfer to an FCS school, Miles said, "I think we've done exactly what has needed to be done up to this point, and I think I want to focus on other things -- not those pieces."
Mathieu has visited McNeese State, and that remains an option, according to a source, GeauxTigerNation reported.
