No grade problems here

Unless a scholarship becomes available before then, Bates will spend his first season on LSU’s football team as a walk-on.

Bates had the option to “grayshirt,” which would have had him enrolling at LSU in January.

“He could have done a classic grayshirt,” said John Heaton, his stepfather, “but besides wanting to practice with the team, Houston wants to go into premed. To not start his classes until January would really set him back academically.”