The Auburn Tigers are doing all they can to prepare for the upcoming college football season. The coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak has certainly made that more challenging than usual, too. It's unfortunately the hand that head coach Gus Malzahn — and every other team in America — has been dealt. Everyone on The Plains is itching to get back to practice soon, but it appears wide receiver Jashawn Sheffield won't be with the team when that happens.
Sheffield, a redshirt freshman who appeared in one game last season, has been suspended indefinitely following multiple arrests in Georgia during the offseason. He was arrested on May 9 for disorderly conduct and on May 16 for a "DUI Less Safe," according to the Montgomery Advertiser, and now his future with the program is in jeopardy.
In a time when distractions were seemingly limited for Auburn football players, the Brunswick, Georgia, native found himself in trouble.
Jashawn Sheffield's Offseason Arrests
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A former four-star prospect from Frederica Academy in Saint Simons Island, Georgia, Sheffield arrived at Auburn University last summer with the hopes of making a big impact in the SEC. He was a dynamic playmaker in high school, compiling nearly 3,400 all-purpose yards and scoring 41 total touchdowns. The 6-foot-1 athlete also recorded 50 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions on defense.
As a true freshman, Sheffield played in the November 2019 game against Samford where he had two carries for 30 yards. He was expected to maybe shift to defensive back this offseason, but now his role is to get back in good graces with the coaching staff.
In both arrests, which were first reported by Tom Green of AL.com, Sheffield spent two days in jail. The "DUI Less Safe" arrest in Bulloch County is a charge a police officer in the state of Georgia can make if he or she believes it's not safe for the driver to be behind the wheel because of alcohol, no matter what his blood-alcohol content level.
Only time will tell what will happen with the Auburn redshirt freshman, but it's safe to say he will have a lot of work to do to rejoin the Tigers when he returns to Alabama.
