Suspended indefinitely by former head coach Derek Dooley, Deion Bonner apparently won’t get the opportunity to make amends under new head coach Butch Jones either.
Tennessee confirmed to the Knoxville News Sentinel Tuesday that the defensive back, along with fellow freshmen defensive linemen Trent Taylor (no relation) and Omari Phillips, are no longer a part of the football team. While Bonner is still listed as a UT student, the other two are no longer registered.
Bonner was the lone suspect in the on-campus theft of a student’s cellphone in early November, but was never arrested as the alleged victim in the case did not wish to pursue charges and none were ever filed. In April of 2011, during a recruiting visit to Georgia, Bonner and two other individuals were accused of stealing several items, including iPhones and iPods, from the lockers of several UGA players during what was described as an open-house event on the campus.
Bonner was charged in the incident, but ultimately pleaded guilty to lesser charges and entered a pre-trial diversion program.
Prior to his suspension in mid-November, Bonner, a four-star member of UT’s 2012 recruiting class, had played in nine games.
Phillips was a four-star player in the 2012 recruiting cycle and had originally signed with Florida, but failed to qualify. He enrolled at UT over the summer and played in one game this season. Taylor was a three-star member of this year’s class.