Two to transfer from LSU

• By WILLIAM WEATHERS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 16, 2008 - Page: 2C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The realization for Max Holmes didn’t come easily. Leaving home and the program you idolized from an early age never is.

However, after four years with LSU’s football program Holmes, a 6-3 1/2 , 285-pound offensive lineman, recently received his release from coach Les Miles and will transfer to Stephen F. Austin to finish the last two years of his career.

Because the Southland Conference school is in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), Holmes will be eligible to play in 2008.

“I made the decision that it was about time to get out of Baton Rouge, start fresh and see what it’s like on the other side,” said Holmes, a former standout at Parkview Baptist.

Holmes is one of two reserve offensive linemen from LSU’s national title team that will not return to play. The other is redshirt sophomore Matt Allen, who said he’s also received his release from Miles and plans to finalize his eventual destination in the next week or two.

Both players received national championship rings and accompanied the team on its trip to Washington D.C. to visit President Bush last month.

“I’ve already visited Texas A&M and that’s where I’m leaning,” Allen said of the school, 90 minutes away from his Spring, Texas, home. “I hope things will work out and end up there.”

Allen (6-3, 295) signed with LSU in 2005, redshirted in ‘06 season and did not play a down last year. Allen served as a backup in spring drills to left guard Herman Johnson and right guard Lyle Hitt.

“It was part of my decision to move on instead of sitting and not playing here,” Allen said. “I didn’t get to play last year and I was pretty upset about that because I felt I could play.”

Allen said he’s also received interest from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA and Oregon. He may take another visit, he said, but will have to sit out a year to satisfy NCAA transfer rules at another Division I school and have two years of eligibility remaining.

Holmes was part of LSU’s program for the past four years after signing with former coach Nick Saban in ’04.

After grayshirting, or delaying his entry into school for a semester, Holmes redshirted a year later and played in three games with no starts in ’06.

Holmes played in six games a year ago. He played all three of LSU’s interior line positions again in the spring but in backup roles and opted to change the course of his future.