It appears the door has opened for the return of Idaho’s most explosive playmaker -- provided there’s not yet another off-field misstep, of course.
According to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, assault charges will not be filed against Vandal wide receiver Dezmon Epps. It was alleged back in October that Epps had either slapped or punched his girlfriend during a public domestic incident.
“We cannot prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Whitman County prosecutor Merritt Decker said, “so we declined to file charges at this time.”
There’s no information available yet as to how quickly the Vandals will look to reinstate Epps.
The alleged assault, for which he was indefinitely suspended, was at least the fifth off-field issue for Epps in a year and a half.
In mid-August of this year, Epps was accused of stealing nearly $300 worth of merchandise from an on-campus store during a time when only football players were allowed in and was being videotaped. The manager of the store declined to press charges in that incident.
In April of last year, Epps was charged with driving under the influence but remained on the team. Three months later, he was charged with stealing less than $40 worth of goods from another local store and was dismissed by Petrino. He was subsequently reinstated before the start of spring practice this year… but had also served two days in jail for driving a vehicle without an interlock device as required by the terms of his drunk-driving probation.
The reason beleaguered head coach Paul Petrino has put up with Epps through these myriad issues is his immense on-field talent.
Despite missing two games because of separate suspensions, Epps is far and away the Vandals’ leading receiver with 61 catches for 762 yards; the next closest totals are 29 and 336. In 2013, Epps’ 79 receptions for 980 yards and four touchdowns in 2013 were easily tops on the team.