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.
It’s just a really weird story.
Allegedly intoxicated guy walks into your apartment by accident when you’re in there with your girlfriend. Then the incident starts. Not sure how I’d react, to be honest.
Weird deal. Not sure the incident report would tell the full story there.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) October 10, 2022
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}