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...
Texas A&M Police Turned This Aggies Blowout Into A Fan Debate
The lopsided game against Arkansas gave Texas A&M fans plenty to talk about on the field, but the most unusual postgame chatter came from the stands. The Texas A&M Police Department used its official Twitter account to document a run of fan-related incidents during the blowout, including public intoxication, minor-in-possession situations, littering and ejections, along with citations and verbal warnings handed out as needed.
Some individuals were released to sober companions or turned over to EMS, which only added to the debate over how much game-day policing is too much and how much is simply part of managing a major SEC crowd. For Aggies fans, it was one of those nights where the final score was only part of the story, and the bigger conversation centered on behavior in the stadium rather than anything that happened between the lines. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Saw Young Playmakers Spark A Much Needed Breakthrough
Texas A&M finally found the kind of offensive spark it had been searching for in a 34-7 win over Arkansas, a result that delivered the Aggies their first conference victory of the 2026 season. The breakthrough came with a cast of young contributors, led by true freshman running back David Edwards, who scored twice and tied for the team lead in rushing yards, while kicker David Olano handled the wet conditions with a pair of long field goals.
Norman also surfaced as the top receiver even in a passing game slowed by rain, giving Texas A&M something to build around beyond the final score. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-off burst of production or the first sign that the Aggies have finally found some playmakers who can carry that momentum into the heart of conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem With Missouri
Missouris win over Florida on Saturday did more than put another notch in the Tigers belt. It sent a clear message that the team Texas A&M is about to see can beat ranked opponents in convincing fashion, with quarterback Austin Simmons and running back Jamal Roberts driving a performance that overwhelmed the Gators from start to finish. Missouri rolled to 560 total yards, controlled the game at the line of scrimmage and made Florida look out of sorts in a loss that snapped the Gators unbeaten start.
For the Aggies, that makes the matchup a little more complicated than it looked before kickoff in Columbia. Missouri is not just riding momentum from a marquee win, it is doing it with an offense capable of stretching defenses and a front that can create problems all game long, which is exactly the kind of combination that can turn a top-25 meeting into a much bigger test than expected. Texas A&M cant ignore what the Tigers just put on tape, because the next challenge now looks a lot less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]