College football notes … LSU head coach Ed Orgeron got an early Christmas present with the announcement that DT Christian LaCouture will return to the Tigers for the 2017 season. The 6-5, 305-pound LaCouture missed the 2016 season with a torn ACL he suffered in the preseason, but was still expected to enter the upcoming draft after he went through went through Senior Day activities at LSU. Notre Dame junior WR Torii Hunter has decided that he will not return to the program as a 5th year senior in 2017, but instead will play professional baseball for the Los Angeles Angels’ organization. The Angels selected Hunter, the son of the former MLB outfielder of the same name, with in the 23rd round of last June’s baseball draft. Hunter was the Irish’s second-leading receiver in 2016 with 38 receptions, despite missing a game because of a concussion and two others due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, former Irish CB Devin Butler has transferred to Syracuse where he will be eligible in 2017 as a grad transfer. Butler was projected to be a starter for the Irish this past season but he was indefinitely suspended just before the season opener after a late night altercation outside of a South Bend bar led to his arrest and two felony charges. Butler ultimately pled guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of resisting law enforcement in October. Nebraska WR Jordan Westerkamp underwent surgery earlier this to repair a meniscus injury and will miss the Huskers Music City Bowl date with Tennessee on December 30th. Westerkamp will also not be able to participate in the East-West Shrine all-star game at the end of January. Indeed, given that the normal recovery period for this type of injury is around three months, Westerkamp will also likely miss the scouting combine in February as well his regular pro day in March, although it is very possible that he could workout for pro scouts in the weeks before the draft in early-to-mid April. Westerkamp, a possession receiver who projects as a later round prospect for the 2017 draft, led the Huskers with 38 receptions in their run-oriented offense this past season.
