Jeremy Hill, LSU's leading returning rusher, has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest over the weekend. School spokesman Michael Bonnette said Tigers coach Les Miles will "let the incident play out through the legal system before making any additional comments."
Hill was arrested and charged with simple battery after an incident at a Baton Rouge bar near campus. The victim identified the rising sophomore as one of two men who allegedly struck him many times to the point of losing consciousness. According to multiple local outlets, there is also video of the incident that shows Hill and another man striking the victim.
This is not the first time Hill has been in trouble and, if convicted of simple battery, the Baton Rouge native would be in violation of his probation from pleading guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile in January 2011. Hill was a member of LSU's 2011 recruiting class, but his arrival was delayed due to an arrest on charges of oral sexual battery. He finally signed with the Tigers in December 2011 after serving a six-month suspended sentence with supervised probation for two years.
The Tigers' offense received a noticeable boost when Hill emerged as the primary back midway through his freshman season in 2012. After recording 684 yards and 10 touchdowns in the final seven games, hopes were high that Hill and returning starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger would anchor LSU's offense in 2013.
LSU's defense is in the midst of reloading after saying goodbye to a plethora of NFL-bound talent, so any unexpected absences for next season are particularly concerning for the Tigers.
