San Diego State dismisses 3, including starting center

Just three days before San Diego State begins spring practice, head coach Rocky Long dismissed three players – including a starter along the offensive line.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Long announced Thursday that center Lenicio Noble, wide receiver Larry Clark and guard Paul Rodriguez were let go for “not abiding by team rules.”

The biggest loss is Noble, who started the team’s final 11 games at center last season. The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Noble transferred to SDSU from Phoenix Community College in 2013. He redshirted his first season with the program in 2013 before earning a starting role for the Aztecs last season.

With Noble out of the picture, Long said sophomore Austin Maass will start with the first team at center when spring ball begins on Sunday.

Clark, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound rising senior, caught 14 passes and was fourth on the team with 197 receiving yards in 2014. He also had three catches for 51 yards in 2013.

Rodriguez, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound backup guard, appeared in all 13 games, primarily on special teams.

Long didn’t seem too upset with the departures.

“When they can’t abide by the team rules it’s not a big loss,” he said. “If they don’t have enough about them to follow the rules that everybody else does, it’s probably a blessing.”

The Aztecs went 7-6 in 2014 and will play their spring game on March 27 or 28.

For more San Diego State news, visit AztecSportsReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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