LSU defensive end Damien Shanklin is facing an ongoing Baton Rouge police investigation tied to rape allegations made by a female student, according to ESPN.
The case centers on an alleged incident last fall. Louisiana State University’s Civil Rights and Title IX office found Shanklin responsible for “forcible rape” against Kendall Francis, the student who later pushed for a police investigation after first making the accusations public in September.
Police reports obtained by ESPN say both Shanklin and Francis agreed their initial sexual contact on Oct. 18, 2025, was consensual. The dispute, according to those reports, is over what happened next, with Francis alleging Shanklin then carried out acts without her consent.
Shanklin was handed a one-year suspension after the school’s ruling this past summer, which barred him from campus activities. That punishment was later reduced on appeal, and he was allowed back on campus as long as he does not run into further legal trouble.
Title IX records obtained by ESPN also say Shanklin told Francis after the October incident that he had been suspended from the team, though he still appeared in three games afterward.
On the field, Shanklin has not practiced during LSU’s most recent fall camp and has not played in a game during the 2026 season.
His attorneys, Grant Willis and Morgan H. Johnson of Taylor Porter, said in a statement to ESPN: “What has been portrayed on social media and in the news thus far, is not a full account of all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this situation,” Shanklin's attorneys told ESPN.
“Mr. Shanklin looks forward to the day when all information surrounding this incident is brought to light and becomes public knowledge.”
Shanklin arrived at LSU as a four-star prospect from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, IN, and was part of the Tigers’ 2025 recruiting class. As a true freshman last season, he played in five games, redshirted, and finished with two sacks. His appearances came against South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana and in the Texas Bowl against Houston.
No. 11 LSU hosts McNeese State in its non-conference finale at Tiger Stadium on Saturday.
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Suddenly In The Hunt For 3 Program-Changing Recruits
Kentucky footballs recruiting push under Will Stein is starting to show up in a different part of the calendar, with the staff already making serious noise in the 2028 class. Multiple recruiting analysts have pointed to the Wildcats as a program to watch for wide receiver Jordan Anderson, defensive lineman Kellan Hall and cornerback Grayden Reid, three highly regarded prospects whose early profiles suggest the kind of talent that can reshape a class if it sticks.
What stands out for Kentucky is not just the names, but the scope of the effort behind them. Joe Price, Jay Bateman and Allen Brown have all been involved in the pursuit, giving the Wildcats a presence on both sides of the ball as they try to build relationships early with nationally ranked talent. It is still very early, of course, but Kentuckys active positioning with this group has turned what could have been routine long-range tracking into a genuine storyline worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Popes First Kentucky Team Just Got An Early SEC Reality Check
Mark Popes first Kentucky team is only at the exhibition stage, with the Wildcats opening against Little Rock, but the preseason picture from SEC Media Days in Birmingham offered an early reminder of how crowded the league race could be. Kentucky was picked to finish seventh in the conference, even as two players earned spots on the preseason All-SEC teams, a sign that the roster has respect but still has ground to make up in a league that rarely gives anyone much margin.
The womens side drew a sturdier forecast, landing fifth in the SEC preseason poll, and Clara Strack was the Wildcats headliner after being named to the preseason All-SEC First Team. Between the mens and womens projections, Kentucky has enough recognition to suggest talent is in place, but the broader message out of Birmingham was clear: both teams will have to prove they belong higher once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Added A Familiar Face Big Blue Nation Will Love
Kentucky officially rounded out its mens basketball staff with a pair of additions that should feel familiar and reassuring in Lexington. Alfred Aboya joins as an assistant coach after working at NBA Academy Africa and with the Cameroon National Mens Basketball Team, while John Pelphrey is back in the program as Director of Player Development, bringing with him a long coaching rsum along with the cachet of being a former Kentucky player.
For a program that always draws attention to who is walking through the door, this is the kind of move that blends experience with a little nostalgia. Aboya adds international and developmental background to the bench, and Pelphreys return gives Big Blue Nation another link to the past while the Wildcats continue building out a staff meant to support the current roster. [Read more 🡒]