LSU edge rusher Damien Shanklin is under criminal investigation after a female student publicly challenged the outcome of the school’s Title IX case in a TikTok video, reopening a matter that had already moved through campus discipline and appeal.
Shanklin, an Indiana native who came to LSU as a top-10 edge rusher in his recruiting class, has not played a snap in 2026. He appeared in five games as a true freshman last season, finished with two sacks and was redshirted by LSU. He also did not practice during fall camp this year.
The case stems from an incident on October 18, 2025. According to On3, LSU’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX found Shanklin responsible for forcible rape. The university initially suspended him for two semesters and barred him from campus and all athletic activities.
Shanklin appealed in August, and administrative law judge Janet Waguespack later upheld the forcible-rape finding. She also called the original punishment “exceedingly harsh” and cut it to four semesters of probation with no restrictions, which allowed Shanklin to stay on campus and return to the team. Waguespack said the encounter “occurred only on one occasion” and was brief, and described Shanklin’s conduct as “an error in judgment” rather than a deliberate violation.
That ruling drew fresh attention after the accuser, LSU student Kendall Francis, identified herself in a TikTok video posted September 14 and criticized the reduced penalty. Francis says the initial contact was consensual, but that Shanklin continued for roughly 20 seconds after she told him to stop, according to On3.
Once the video spread, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore opened a criminal investigation. His office has requested every report, interview and piece of evidence LSU, LSU police and Baton Rouge police have gathered. Shanklin has not been charged, and both departments have declined further public comment.
Shanklin’s attorneys, Grant L. Willis and Morgan H.
Johnson, say he is innocent and object to how the case has been presented. “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,” they said, according to WAFB.
His legal team also says Shanklin claims Francis tried to extort him and threatened suicide after their encounter. That account has not been confirmed and remains disputed.
Lane Kiffin has not publicly addressed Shanklin’s status since the investigation resurfaced. LSU is moving ahead with its SEC schedule while Moore’s office reviews the records. The Title IX case had already disappeared from view once before; now it is back in the spotlight, with the criminal investigation still unfolding.
In Other News...
LSU Has Every Reason To Push Back On ESPN's Latest Outlook
LSU has already given itself a strong early foundation in 2026, opening 3-1 with wins over Clemson, Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M before falling to Ole Miss. That start alone is enough to make the Tigers look more dangerous than a middle-of-the-pack projection, especially with a schedule that still leaves plenty of chances to stack quality wins in SEC play.
Still, ESPNs latest College Football Power Index is treating LSU more like an 8-4 team, with a 4-3 mark in the rest of league play. The numbers also have to account for the injuries that have thinned out the roster, and that uncertainty is what makes the next stretch so important for LSU, which has the rsum to argue with the forecast but not yet the margin for error to ignore it. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Now Face A Real Sam Leavitt Debate
Through the first month of the 2026 season, LSU has found itself in the middle of a quarterback conversation it would rather not have had. A Week 4 review of five high-profile passers across college football put Sam Leavitt in the same discussion as names like Arch Manning, John Mateer, Marcel Reed and Bryce Underwood, which tells you how closely the position is being watched and how quickly expectations can shift once the games start counting.
For LSU, the interest is not just about numbers, but about whether Leavitt is tracking the way a program with the Tigers ambitions needs him to. The review pointed to uneven production and the kinds of game-by-game challenges that can leave a quarterbacks reputation ahead of his results, and that is where the tension now sits for LSU fans. The broader question is whether Leavitt is settling into the role or whether the early returns are forcing a real debate about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Heading To Tiger Stadium Need This Saturday Timing Guide
Saturdays game day at Tiger Stadium comes with a packed timeline for fans heading to Baton Rouge for LSUs matchup with McNeese on Oct. 3, 2026. The schedule lays out when parking lots open, when fan zones get rolling, and how the pregame window is expected to unfold, giving supporters a clear roadmap for planning the trip and making the most of the experience before kickoff.
For a crowd that treats Tiger Stadium Saturdays like an event all their own, those details matter almost as much as the game itself. From team arrivals to pregame shows and the in-game presentations that help set the tone inside the stadium, the day is built to keep fans moving in rhythm with the action, and for anyone trying to beat the rush, the timing guide may be the difference between easing into the atmosphere and spending the afternoon catching up. [Read more 🡒]