LSU Football Player Damien Shanklin Under Investigation For Alleged Rape

Damien Shanklin -- a defensive end for the LSU football team -- is being investigated by campus police and the district attorney in connection with a rape allegation made by a fellow student ... but his lawyers say he "maintains his innocence."

According to ESPN, the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office confirmed they're investigating Shanklin after a student named Kendall Francis made her allegations against him public in a TikTok video she posted last month.

According to the Title IX complaint, reviewed by ESPN, Shanklin and Francis engaged in consensual intimate contact on October 18, 2025 -- before they began to have penetrative sex.

The complaint states Shanklin penetrated Francis, then asked her if she wanted him to stop ... to which she allegedly said nothing. The two then allegedly had penetrative sex for 20 seconds before she asked him to stop.

After the alleged incident, Francis says she texted Shanklin that she wanted to go to the hospital and get a rape kit ... and claims he asked her not to report it to the police. The Title IX complaint states she "responded by asking how much money would she get if she took that offer" -- and he allegedly sent her $1,000 on CashApp.

The original police report of the alleged incident was made in October 2025 ... and, though Shanklin was found responsible for "forcible rape" in July and given a one-year suspension, the punishment was reduced to probation on appeal.

Administrative Law Judge Janet Waguespack wrote in her decision that the initial punishment was too intense, in part because there was "both consensual and nonconsensual activity."

She said Shanklin's behavior, "although nonconsensual, did not exhibit a deliberate disregard for the dignity and autonomy of Complainant but was instead an error in judgment."

Francis said in her TikTok last month that the university is protecting the athlete at her expense. LSU spokesperson Meg Casper Sunstrom says the university "properly followed its Title IX policy and processes to a conclusion."

Grant L. Willis and Morgan H. Johnson, attorneys for Shanklin, tell TMZ ...
"Damien Shanklin maintains his innocence regarding the events that occurred on October 18, 2025 and will fully cooperate with the criminal investigation. 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." 

His legal team adds ... "Mr. Shanklin looks forward to the day when all information surrounding this incident is brought to light and becomes public knowledge."