LSU defensive end Damien Shanklin is under criminal investigation following a rape allegation, after a university disciplinary appeal allowed him to remain on campus despite upholding a finding against him.
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Campus police and the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office confirmed the investigation to ESPN's Paula Lavigne in an Oct. 1 report.
Shanklin's attorneys said he maintains his innocence and will cooperate with investigators.
Damien Shanklin of the LSU Tigers poses for a portrait on June 16, 2026, at the LSU Football Practice Facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
The allegation concerns an October 2025 encounter with fellow student Kendall Francis. According to records reviewed by ESPN, Francis said initially consensual sexual contact became nonconsensual. Shanklin gave a different account, saying he stopped when she asked him to.
LSU's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX found Shanklin responsible for "forcible rape" in July and imposed a one-year suspension.
On appeal, administrative law judge Janet Waguespack upheld that finding but reduced the punishment to four semesters of probation without restrictions. The decision permitted Shanklin to remain enrolled and participate in campus activities.
That university finding is separate from the criminal investigation.
Francis publicly discussed the case in September and asked police to pursue it. Her advocate, Eugene Collins, told ESPN that the university's handling of the matter prompted her to seek a criminal investigation.
Shanklin's attorneys disputed the completeness of public accounts.
"What has been portrayed on social media and in the news thus far, is not a full account of all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this situation," they said.
LSU said it followed its Title IX policies and procedures.
Shanklin appeared in five games as a freshman in 2025. As of ESPN's report, he had not played this season.
