LSU linebacker Donte Starks has been dismissed from the football program for a violation of team rules, coach Ed Orgeron announced on Friday in a release sent by the school. Starks was serving an indefinite suspension following a February arrest on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and running from police.
The incident occurred on Jan. 31 in Starks' hometown of Marrero, Louisiana. NOLA.com reported that Starks was arrested and charged after allegedly running away from officers who stopped him while investigating a complaint about an armed man selling crack cocaine. No drugs were found on Starks at the time of the arrest.
Starks saw action in three games during LSU's national championship run last season but didn't record any stats. Despite playing sparingly as a true freshman, Starks was a four-star prospect and the No. 159 overall player in the Class of 2019.
The 6-foot-1, 217-pounder from John Ehret High School was expected to contend for playing time in a new-look LSU defense that has plenty of holes to replace under first-year coordinator Bo Pelini. The Tigers lost linebackers K'Lavon Chaisson, Patrick Queen and Jacob Phillips off of last year's national title-winning squad.
