LSU starting safety A.J. Haulcy will be suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game at No. 4 Clemson, the NCAA told ESPN on Thursday.

Haulcy, who transferred to LSU in May and was considered one of the top defensive players available in the portal, was suspended for a fight in his final regular-season game last year while playing for Houston.

The news came as a surprise to No. 9 LSU, as team officials were not informed of the suspension until Wednesday, sources told ESPN. The suspension leaves LSU without a key member of its secondary in a road game against Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, one of the country’s top quarterbacks.

Haulcy was ejected for his role in a fracas late in Houston’s 30-18 loss to BYU in November.

A few factors might have led to some of the ambiguity and confusion around the suspension. Haulcy was initially ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty that wouldn’t generally yield a suspension. However, officials clarified after the game that Haulcy was ejected for fighting, which does result in a suspension.

Houston’s coaching staff was made aware of the classification of his ejection and the first-half suspension in December 2024 in a formal letter from the NCAA. According to sources, Haulcy says he was not informed.

Haulcy’s transfer to LSU in May also appears to have caused some communication issues on the suspension, though NCAA rules are clear that a suspension follows a player after a transfer and there is no appeal process.

Clemson finished No. 15 in the country in pass offense last season and returns Klubnik and a majority of its offensive weapons. LSU’s secondary was a weak spot last year, as the Tigers finished No. 76 nationally in pass defense.