BATON ROUGE La.       
Nine Southern University football players including several starters will not be with the program this fall, coach Pete Richardson said.

Linebacker D.J. Brooks, defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas, offensive guard Adrian Banks, defensive end Jimmy Hollins and tight end Joshua Nixon are academically ineligible, Richardson said on Monday.

In addition, defensive tackle Alston Smith, a transfer from Temple, and defensive end Jowelle Bullock have left the program to go elsewhere, though Richardson said he was unsure where.

Last month, Richardson said running back Larry Nichols and cornerback Marcus Wilkerson were academically ineligible.

Losing so many key players on defense Brooks and Thomas were starters and Smith expected to add depth to the interior of the defensive line hits an area that was considered a strength in spring practices.

"It hurts the depth, which is going to be crucial the first two or three games," Richardson said.

Southern will be on the road for its first two games, against Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 1 and against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 8 in Chicago.

"You have to be concerned when you have guys who just didn't perform academically and you were counting on them, at least for added depth. The first part of the year, because of the weather factor, it's going to be crucial conditioning-wise," Richardson said.

Brooks was second on the team in tackles in both 2006 (64) and 2005 (63). Thomas, a former North Carolina transfer, had 37 tackles and one sack last season. Wilkerson had 32 tackles and two interceptions.

Nichols entered last season as the team's No. 1 running back but rushed for only 51 yards and no touchdowns.

Banks, a starter as a freshman and a sophomore, had missed much of spring practice after injuring a knee and having surgery.

- Associated Press