BYU football: Rumors swirling around Francis Bernard

On Saturday morning, BYU football fans on social media and message boards began discussing an alleged suspension of linebacker Francis Bernard.

Bernard, a talented junior linebacker also missed the Poinsettia Bowl last season due to suspension.

BYU football has yet to comment on Bernard’s status, but he has been noticeably absent from some team practices. Last week he missed the scrimmage after arriving late.

There was no talk of suspension then, but that got the ball rolling.

On Monday, Bernard didn’t participate in the media-observation session of practice. He sat out with a jersey on. BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake didn’t comment on Bernard’s status, which just continued to perpetuate rumors.

Depending on who you ask, Bernard is either suspended for the season, or a good chunk of the season, or not at all.

I spoke to someone close to BYU football who said Bernard missed the scrimmage due to a scheduled meeting with administration regarding last season’s suspension. The source continued to say they hadn’t heard anything about a potential suspension for this season.

“As far as I know, he’ll be (playing),” I was told.

Just like any other report that’s out there, take it with a grain of salt. It would obviously be great for BYU football if Bernard is on the field.

From the best I can tell, the suspension talk popped up after he missed the scrimmage. There was also some speculation at this point that it was surrounding academics. Again, no confirmation from BYU.

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Now with two-straight practices with a Bernard absence, one would think Sitake and the university would announce a suspension if one was handed down. But, there’s a chance the Cougars want to keep everything in-house, which is respectable.

Admittedly, the longer the silence goes, the worse it looks for Bernard. If there was nothing wrong, it seems like Sitake would’ve said as much. Maybe the academic issue is the problem, but the coach is looking to protect his player.

At this point, it’s hard to know what to believe. I’d recommend staying cautious until BYU either confirms or denies any sort of suspension.

If Bernard is gone for the season, it’s a big blow to the Cougars. He was projected to be a key piece in BYU’s strongest unit of the defense. There’s no way to replace his versatility.

But Cougar fans might be able to take on the mindset of a baseball team with a star returning at the trade deadline. Teams will stay put at the deadline, treating the return of an injured player like a trade. In some ways, we might be able to look at Sione Takitaki’s return as a pseudo-trade for Bernard.

It’s obviously not what BYU football wanted, but depending on how things shake out, it might be what the Cougars get.