Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel dismissed two players from the Volunteers Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel looks to the field during the second half of a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Tennessee defeated Pitt 34-27. Tennpitt0910 03411

Just ahead of perhaps their biggest game of the year against Alabama, the Tennessee Volunteers announced that their starting safety Jaylen McCollough was arrested on assault charges.

According to reports from ESPN out of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, there was an arrest warrant issued for McCollough when officers responded to a call at 3:28 p.m. ET on Sunday. A man told officers that he had been drinking with friends in an apartment and left to retrieve items from his car. He accidentally returned to an apartment in the wrong building and knocked on the door but no one answered.

The man told police that he opened an unlocked door, realized he was in the wrong apartment, and apologized to the residents. After leaving the apartment, a man (McCollough) followed him and became aggressive, according to the victim. The victim says he continued to apologize but apparently was followed. After he had a few more words, the victim claims he was then punched in the face, fell down a flight of stairs, and was unconscious.

McCollough, who came back to the scene of the crime, had a bloody bandaged hand and refuse to answer police questions when asked about the incident.

Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel will be holding a press conference later today to discuss the incident. McCollough was released Monday morning from Knox County jail. This is the third incident this season involving Tennessee football players as Heupel kicked two players off the team earlier this season.

{ESPN}

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.