Georgia freshman football players Chad Clay and Julian Rochester were arrested early Tuesday morning on charges of having a weapon in a school zone and criminal damage in the second degree.
"I'm disappointed with the poor judgment of Julian and Chad," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said 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."
Defense attorney Kim Stephens says the two players were shooting solo cups in their dorm room with a Daisy BB gun, which left marks on the door and in other areas of the room. The way the statute reads, anything that shoots a projectile — "including a straw and spitball" — fits the definition of a weapon on campus, Stephens said.
Both players are early enrollees. Rochester is a defensive lineman from Powder Spring and McEachern High School and was one of the team's top recruits. Clay is a defensive back from Marietta and Peachtree Ridge High School.
Defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter was arrested last month on two misdemeanor charges making this the second and third arrests of spring for Georgia. However, it is the first felony charge since 2014 when Johnathan Taylor faced domestic violence charges.
[h/t DawgNation]
