LSU, Brian Kelly face 'real concern' in Greg Brooks lawsuit: Finebaum

Amid an ugly back and forth between LSU football coach Brian Kelly and the family of former defensive back Greg Brooks, Jr., college football analyst Paul Finebaum believes the Tigers could have a genuine problem starting them in the face.

Those tensions went public when Brooks’ family accused Kelly of severing contact with the player during his battle with brain cancer.

Kelly responded by saying those comments were false, and then Brooks’ family responded through their lawyers, saying that the coach’s remarks were incorrect.

“It’s a real concern because that was a situation I remember well, as everyone does, where you had a young man who became very ill,” Finebaum said.

“I don’t know the facts of that. I do know lawsuits. And there’s a lot of stuff thrown up against the wall, so I’m hesitant to get too deep into those woods without knowing any more facts.”

But what Finebaum believes he does know is that Kelly and LSU will have to sort through what looks like a mounting issue, especially as the families of prospective recruits watch how the situation unfolds very closely.

“Kelly has to navigate that,” he said. “Because I think he probably did have the most momentum after a bad season. He made up for it.”

Kelly saw his win total dip below double-digits for the first time in his tenure as LSU head coach, but was making headway in the transfer portal and got some very good news when quarterback Garrett Nussmeier announced he would return for the 2025 season.

But the Brooks situation has brought some unwelcome attention on Kelly and the football program this offseason, too.

Brooks had to undergo emergency surgery in the fall of 2023 after it was discovered he had a brain tumor stemming from a rare type of brain cancer known as medulloblastoma.

Over a year later, Brooks’ family sued LSU and its hospital relating to their alleged handling of the situation and the procedures, which led to a series of strokes that have left him permanently disabled and requiring therapy to re-learn how to write, speak, and eat, according to the family’s lawsuit.

Brooks’ father said that Kelly didn’t reach out to the family during the ex-Tigers captain’s health ordeal in comments made to Good Morning America.

But the coach responded by calling those remarks “factually incorrect,” comments which Brooks’ family’s attorneys said were false in response.

“Greg Jr. looks forward to having his day in court, where the truth will come to light,” they said, “and in the meantime, he will be focusing on his health and recovery.”