ON THE SIDELINES

Tech DT Aaron Brown suspended for first two games

Sean Isabella

sisabella@thenewsstar.com

Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Aaron Brown will miss the first two games of the season due to academics.

Louisiana Tech junior defensive tackle Aaron Brown has been suspended for the first two games of the season, Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz announced Monday.

Brown will miss Saturday's season opener against Southern and the Conference USA opener Sept. 10 at Western Kentucky due to academics.

Brown, an engineering major, had academic issues in the fall and was subsequently served with the suspension. Brown had to finish a class earlier in camp and was forced to miss the first week of practice.

The Carrolton, Texas, native has academic struggles that date back to last season. He was one of six players suspended for the final two games of the season — the Conference USA title game at Marshall and the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Illinois.

However, Brown returned for spring practice and ended April as Tech's starting defensive tackle opposite Vernon Butler. Brown totaled 15 tackles in 2014 and is expected to play a major role in 2015.

In his absence, Tech has as many as a half dozen players that will form what Holtz called a "committee."

Redshirt freshman Cedric Johnson is now listed as the starter with Tyler Porter, who missed the spring due to academics, as his backup. Redshirt sophomore Hakim Gray and true freshmen Jordan Bradford and Courtney Wallace will also be in the mix.

"If you look at our depth chart, really it would have Vernon Butler and about seven names at the other position because we're trying to figure out who that guy is gonna be," Holtz said. "Whoever the next guy up is is the guy that's going to be playing next to him. There's a lot of names there and there are a lot of guys that have shown promise that I think are going to be pretty good but they are just young now."

Johnson has earned the top spot for now due to a strong camp.

"He's done some really nice things," Holtz said. "He's shown flashes but as a redshirt freshmen he's just gotta keep coming and show a little bit more consistency to be the type of guy for me to say he's going to be the starter there."