Two of Georgia's six early enrollees, defensive lineman Julian Rochester and defensive back Chad Clay, were arrested Monday night on two felony charges.
Rochester and Clay, who are each 19 years old, were charged with having a weapon in a school zone and with second-degree criminal damage. The university stated the charges are related to possession of a BB gun and property damage.
"I'm disappointed with the poor judgment of Julian and Chad," Bulldogs first-year head football coach Kirby Smart said this morning in a statement. "We expect full compliance with the policies of the university and of our football program from all our student-athletes. Information is still being gathered, but they will be disciplined in an appropriate manner."
Georgia will hold the 13th of its 15 allotted spring practices this afternoon. Smart is scheduled to meet with the media afterward.
The 6-foot-5, 327-pound Rochester was a top-100 national prospect in the 2016 signing class according to ESPN, Scout.com and 247Sports.com. He is from the Atlanta suburb of Powder Springs and has taken some first-team snaps this spring.
Georgia already has experienced setbacks on the defensive line, with sophomores Jonathan Ledbetter and Chauncey Rivers facing suspensions to start the 2016 season. Ledbetter was arrested late last month on misdemeanor charges of underage possession of alcohol and possession of false identification, while Rivers had a second marijuana-related arrest in December.
Clay, a 6-foot, 180-pounder from Marietta, was rated by ESPN and Scout.com as a four-star prospect.
For more information, read Wednesday's Times Free Press