Kristian Fulton sees a slight ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel after the NCAA reopened his case.

After the NCAA dealt the junior cornerback a two-year suspension for allegedly tampering with a urine sample for an NCAA administered drug test, the committee may reverse course after Fulton’s attorney, Don Jackson, presented new evidence. The NCAA committee has agreed to reopen the case and consider the new evidence, a source confirmed to Geaux247.

The NCAA manual states that, "a student-athlete who is involved in a case of clearly observed tampering with an NCAA drug test, as documented per NCAA drug-testing protocol by a drug-testing crew member, shall be declared ineligible for further participation in postseason and regular-season competition during the time period ending two calendar years (i.e., 730 days) after the student-athlete was involved in tampering with a drug test.”

The manual adds, “the penalty for a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug (PED) is strict and automatic: student-athletes lose one full year of eligibility for the first offense (25 percent of their total eligibility) and are withheld from competition for 365 days from the date of the test. A second positive test for a PED results in the loss of all remaining eligibility.

The penalty for a positive test for a substance in the street drug class is withholding from competition for 50 percent of the season in all sports in which the student-athlete participates. A second positive test for a street drug results in the loss of a year of eligibility and withholding from participation for 365 days from the test.”

At issue was the NCAA’s interpretation of which rule it applied. Jackson previously told Geaux247 he felt that Fulton violated rule 3.3 rather than 3.4 that his client was penalized for. A violation of rule 3.3 would result in a one-year suspension that Fulton has served as opposed to the two-year ban that was initially handed down.

The former five-star cornerback in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2016 missed all of the 2017 campaign and is currently slated to miss all of 2018. Fulton played in three games as a true freshman in 2016 and registered a pair of tackles – one each against Missouri and Southern Miss.

An injury derailed his season, but Fulton returned for the Citrus Bowl win against Louisville on New Year’s Day of 2017.

That was the last time the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder from Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel played in a game. The NCAA allowed Fulton to practice with the team but that was the extent of his availability.

If Fulton regains full eligibility for 2018, sources feel he will emerge as the starting cornerback opposite of preseason All-American Greedy Williams. A decision is expected before the start of the 2018 season.

With Fulton’s status in question, a trio of sophomores Kary Vincent, Jontre Kirklin and Mannie Netherly battled for the spot during the spring. Two new faces enter the mix at the start of fall camp in Stanford graduate transfer Terrence Alexander and incoming freshman Kelvin Joseph.

Fulton was one of the top cornerbacks in the country in the 2016 class – ranked No. 3 at his position and the No. 22 prospect overall. He was ranked No. 1 overall in Louisiana.

After a stellar prep career where he was named the New Orleans Advocate's Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2014 with 11 interceptions, 27 tackles and eight passes defended despite missing first three games of season with an injury, Fulton picked up a bevy of scholarship offers from all around the country. In the end, LSU beat out Florida and Arkansas for his signature.

LSU returns five starters on defense from last year’s squad that finished 9-4 overall. The secondary was already strong with Williams and two starting safeties returning in John Battle and Grant Delpit.

The Tigers open the season against Miami at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 in Arlington, Texas on ABC.