Baxter Off USC Football Team To Focus On Academics, Baby?

(CBS/AP) -- The strange saga that is Dillon Baxter continues. Trojan blogger Scott Wolf reports Baxter didn't travel to Notre Dame because his girlfriend was expected to give birth this past weekend.

Before practice on Tuesday morning, Lane Kiffin released a statement on the Running back, " The decision has been made for Dillon Baxter to focus on his academics. As he does so, he will not be part of our football program."

"There was no word in there (like) suspension," Kiffin said after Tuesday's practice, referring to the school's brief statement about Baxter. "We're done talking about it. ... This is all about no distractions, so it's why we're not answering questions. We don't want our players or our coaches dealing with it. Our team has had great focus over the last couple of weeks on the road, and the last thing we want to do is get distracted."

The sophomore had just nine carries this season and didn't travel with the team to Notre Dame last Saturday.

Baxter, a five-star recruit out of high school, was the biggest star for the Trojans Spring camp in 2010, but it never materialized on the playing field.

He is still enrolled in school.