Kai Locksley exited spring practice as the odds-on favorite to be under center when UTEP opened the 2019 season in late August. Thanks to an off-field issue, it remains unclear what the foreseeable future for the son of Maryland head coach Mike Locksley will hold.
Reports surfaced this past weekend that the younger Locksley had been arrested on multiple charges, including unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of marijuana, terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated. Details of what led to the arrest and charges have not yet been made available to the public.
That said, Miners head coach Dana Dimel announced in a statement shortly thereafter that the quarterback has been suspended by the football program.
“We are aware of the charges against Kai Locksley,” Dimel said. “While the severity of the charges is concerning, it would not be appropriate to determine a course of action until we have all the facts. In the meantime, he has been suspended from the UTEP football team.”
This past season, Locksley started eight of the nine games in which he played for the Miners. In those appearances, the former Texas Longhorn passed for 937 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 340 yards and another six touchdowns on the ground.
Thanks to nine interceptions and just a 49.1 completion percentage in 169 attempts, his 90.9 quarterback rating was 125th out of 126 qualified quarterbacks in 2018.