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Per The Advocate, LSU starting safety John Battle has been awarded a medical hardship, awarding him a fifth year of eligibility moving forward. Battle, who had been listed as a senior for the 2017 season, will now be considered a junior and eligible to return in 2018.
Battle has been reclassified as a redshirt junior; this was supposed to be his senior year. Battle played in only one game — Game 2 against Sam Houston State — in 2014. He received a medical hardship for that season, the school confirmed. A player can receive a redshirt for medical reasons if he was injured in the first half of the season and only participated in one-third of his team's games.
Battle took over following an injury to Ricky Jefferson in 2016 and did a fine job, creating some optimism for the coming year as a steady, veteran presence in the Tiger secondary. The idea of getting him back for another season could be huge, given that LSU could lose two or three starters by 2018 and possibly be very green in the secondary.