Just when you thought the bad news was dying, Tennessee football was hit by another twist. Less than two weeks before the start of spring training, three defensive Vols, a redshirt freshman who returned and the first two enrollees got involved in legal issues.
According to WBIR, freshman redshirt linebacker Martavius French, enrolled linebacker Aaron Willis and enrolled Isaac Washington have been identified among a group of players facing drug misdemeanor charges. The charges are related to an incident that occurred on March 9 in Stokely Hall.
Jimmy Hyams from WNML on Twitter he added that they were accused of “simple possession, illegal drug paraphernalia and youth incident”. The police report also mentions an assault, although it is unclear what everyone’s responsibility is. Here is what was said by WBIR.
According to the authorities, several men entered the Stokely apartment and went into a room.
They knocked on a door. A roommate answered the door and said he was beaten by a man, according to authorities. None of the four adults were charged with assault
This is a terrible situation for Tennessee football. The Vols just officially closed their team on the pitch last Friday. They are also in the process of ending the NCAA investigation on its program related to the problems with Jeremy Pruitt. A tumultuous off-season, which included replacing the athletic director and coaching staff, seemed to be finally calming down.
With this report, things may be collapsing once again. We should also note that players who have had problems make it even worse, given the Rocky Top folks this year. They can all be key in 2021.
French was a four-star linebacker from Memphis who did not play in 2020. Willis was a four-star linebacker in the 2021 class who spent time in Virginia and Maryland. Given the departures of Quavaris Crouch and Henry To’o To’o, the linebacker is a great need for the Vols now. Both guys could fill an immediate need.
Washington is a defensive lineman three stars across the board in the 2021 class and, given the depth of the attack, he probably wouldn’t have seen much action this year. However, he can definitely be a valuable player in the future.
Simply put, this is disastrous for Tennessee football. Two freshmen with elite potential, arguably the greatest position needed, being arrested just before spring training is the last thing they need. This can only hinder Heupel’s work.