LSU lineman Chris Davenport to transfer to Tulane
Former LSU offensive tackle Chris Davenport said Tuesday that he plans to continue his college career by enrolling at Tulane to play his final season.
Davenport, who has his degree from LSU in interdisciplinary studies, said he is awaiting paperwork necessary to enroll at Tulane and he hopes to join the Green Wave in “the next couple of days.”
He said he will enroll in graduate school at Tulane to study human resources.
Davenport (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) came to LSU as a highly rated defensive tackle out of Mansfield High School in 2009, but he had trouble finding a role on one of the team’s more talent-laden areas.
He redshirted as a freshman and played in two games as a backup as a redshirt freshman, assisting on one tackle.
Davenport moved to offensive tackle during spring drills before the 2011 season and played in 10 games as a backup to left tackle Chris Faulk that fall. He missed last spring after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and never had an impact.
When Faulk was lost for the season due to a knee injury suffered in the season opener this year, guard Josh Dworaczyk stepped in at left tackle. Davenport played just 13 snaps.
“This is another opportunity for me,” Davenport said, “another shot.”
Three in all-star game
Three LSU seniors — place-kicker Drew Alleman, defensive tackle Josh Downs and defensive end Chancey Aghayere — have accepted invitations to participate in the Raycom All Star Classic on Jan. 19 in Montgomery, Ala.
The players start practice Jan. 14 and will practice each day in front of NFL scouts, general managers and coaches leading up to the game.
Alleman, a two-year starter from Lafayette, finished his career as one of the most accurate kickers in Tigers history. His career field-goal percentage was .787 (37-of-47). He was named second team All-Southeastern Conference this season after making 21-of-29 field goals and all 44 of his extra points.
He is the only player in LSU history to score 100 points in consecutive seasons with 111 points as a junior in 2011 and 107 this season. He also ranks second in school history in consecutive PATs with 106, just three shy of the LSU mark held by David Browndyke.
Downs had his best season as a senior, playing in 13 games with 10 starts. He made 19 tackles, 51/2 tackles for loss and 31/2 sacks. Downs ended his career with 48 tackles, 111/2 tackles for loss and 41/2 sacks.
Aghayere played in 43 games, starting six times. He had 44 tackles, 41/2 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The all-star game will kic off at 2 p.m. at the Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery and be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
Alleman, Aghayere, and Downs will play for the Stars squad, which will be coached by former NFL defensive coordinator and college assistant Jim Bates. The Stripes team will be coached by former NFL head coach Dan Reeves.
Lowest finish in three years
LSU’s No. 14 ranking in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll released Tuesday is the Tigers’ lowest post-season ranking since they were ranked No. 17 after the 2009 season.
It’s the third time LSU has not been ranked in the final top 10 in coach Les Miles’ eight seasons. The 2008 team was unranked.
The Tigers finished 10-3 after a 25-24 loss to Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31.
LSU finished sixth among the seven Southeastern Conference teams in the final rankings. National champion Alabama was followed by Georgia and Texas A&M, which tied for fifth, No. 8 South Carolina and No. 9 Florida. Vanderbilt is ranked No. 23.