Clemson has already suspended four players for its season opener against Georgia. Depending on how things play out over the next couple of months, the Bulldogs could be in that same punitive neighborhood -- if not a little higher.
Following practice Tuesday, potential suspensions for various players were a focal point in the media’s conversation with Mark Richt. In the first order of business, the head coach all but confirmed that wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley (pictured) will receive a one-game suspension for a marijuana possession arrest that occurred last October after he suffered a season-ending injury.
School policy dictates that a student-athlete arrested on such a charge would face the loss of 10 percent of their sport’s regular-season games. “We’ll stay with our policies on that,” the coach said, indicating that Scott-Wesley will be hit with the single-game suspension.
As for the four UGA players, including projected secondary starter Tray Matthews, who were charged recently with at least two counts each of theft by perjury? Richt was non-committal as to whether suspensions would be the end result of the quartet’s stipend check scam, although he didn’t rule any punitive avenue out either.
“Ah, I wouldn’t put anything out of the realm of possibility right now,” Richt said according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Right now we’re just allowing them to continue to work. When the discipline is laid out — there’s some happening right now, just early-morning running and things of that nature — but there’s more to come. Just thinking it through real good.”
All four players -- wide receiver Uriah LeMay, defensive lineman John Taylor (no relation) and defensive end James DeLoach being the other three -- have been permitted to practice with the team since their arrests early last week.
On the bright side personnel-wise, Richt did confirm that Shaq Wiggins will not be suspended for a January arrest on charges of driving on a suspended license and speeding.