Why was Tennessee’s Jaylen McCollough arrested and charged with assault?
With details still emerging, the school has had no official comment on the situation, but rest assured this will hurt the team.
As they prepare for one of the biggest games of the season, the Volunteers will have to do so without one of their key defensive players, after he got himself in trouble with the law.
Tennessee DB Jaylen McCollough arrested on assault charges
According to reports, Tennessee defensive back Jaylen McCollough was arrested on Sunday and charged with aggravated felony assault by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. A four-year starter for the Vols, McCollough has been a key defensive playmaker for the No. 6 ranked Volunteers. While there has been no official statement from the school’s athletic department, head coach Josh Heupel did in fact address the arrest during his weekly press conference on Monday, if only very briefly.
With regards to what McCollough actually did, reports allege that the DB pursued and punched a man who mistakenly entered his apartment after mistaking it for a friend’s place. When the man tried to apologize and leave, McCollough is said to have punched him in the face. This resulted in the man falling down the stairs, at which point he lost consciousness.
The loss of Jaylen McCollough is going to hurt
To be clear, McCollough is a central figure in this current crop of Tennessee players. Over the last four years, the senior has started consistently at safety for the Vols’ and across that time has amassed an impressive 148 tackles, three interceptions and 10 tackles for loss in more than 30 games. Indeed, McCollough is currently tied for fourth on the team with 23 tackles. This is to say, that should the defensive back miss any period of time due to his arrest, it will most definitely be a blow to Tennessee’s team. Below you can see him displaying his knowledge of the game:
In terms of backups, the Vols will likely turn to either Andre Turrentine or Jordan Thomas, both of whom are freshmen. To date, Turrentine has five tackles at Tennessee after transferring from Ohio State. It has to be said, that while there is no good timing for an arrest on possible assault charges, it can’t get much worse. The Volunteers are gearing up for one of their biggest games in recent memory. On Saturday coming, they will face the No. 3 ranked Alabama in the SEC, a team they’ve not beaten since 2006. On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning that this is the highest they’ve been ranked since 2005. Can they overcome the Crimson Tide? Watch this space.