The Honey Badger won't be making an appearance for LSU this fall.

LSU football coach Les Miles announced Friday defensive back and punt returner Tyrann Mathieu has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team policy.

Mathieu was one of the top playmakers for the Tigers during last year's undefeated regular season and adopted the "Honey Badger" moniker as part of his flashy style.

He scored twice on both defense and kick returns and finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

"This is a very difficult day for our team," Miles said. "We lose a quality person, teammate and contributor to the program. However, with that being said, we have a standard that our players are held to and when that standard is not met, there are consequences.

"It's hard because we all love Tyrann. We will do what we can as coaches, teammates, and friends to get him on a path where he can have success. We are going to miss him."

PHOTOS: Images from Tyrann Mathieu's career

The Tigers, who were selected No. 1 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll last week, will now have a major hole to fill in their secondary. Jalen Collins, a freshman, is listed as his backup on the team's depth chart.

Mathieu was suspended for one game against Auburn last season for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Media reports indicated Mathieu failed a drug test.

He returned the following game to play at Alabama in a game the Tigers won on their way to the BCS title game.

The school did not confirm Mathieu had failed a second and third drug test, which would have meant he would have been vulnerable to expulsion from the school and team.

LSU athletics director Joe Alleva said Mathieu has been undergoing counseling, which is a feature of the school's substance abuse policy.

"He's had help," Alleva said. "And we've been trying to help him all along in everything. We do everything we can to help these kids."

Asked if Mathieu's expulsion was linked to his suspension last October, Alleva said, "I'm not going to confirm or deny either one. This is just a team policy."

Alleva did confirm that Mathieu had not been arrested. It was also not an academic issue, as players can return from that. "It's permanent," Miles said.

Miles said Mathieu broke both team and university policy, which tend to intertwine only with regard to arrests, academics and substance abuse policy.

Miles said he expected Mathieu to transfer. The junior could move to a lower-division school and play immediately this season. Because he has a redshirt season available, he could also sit out the season while transferring to a FBS school and still retain his two seasons of eligibility.

"For Ty, I think it's an opportunity for him to redirect," Miles said. "I think he's still got a bright future. I think that he can really accomplish all the goals that he set for himself."

Contributing: Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana