One of Tennessee’s best defenders spent the first Saturday night of college football in jail instead of watching a division rival on TV.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, starting defensive back Bryce Thompson was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic assault and allegedly made threats against the school during an altercation. As a result, he was jailed overnight before being released on bond early Sunday.
Per the paper:Thompson and a woman got into an argument around 8 p.m. Saturday in Stokely Hall on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, according to court records.
Thompson reportedly told the woman he would “slap the (expletive) out of you.” Two witnesses told police they heard him threaten to “shoot up the school,” according to an arrest warrant.
The woman in question reportedly had been in a longterm relationship with the sophomore, who also damaged some property in the area.
A court date has been set already for Sept. 3 -- just a few days after the Vols’ Aug. 31 opener against Georgia State at Neyland Stadium. The school said they were still in the process of gathering information and had not determined Thompson’s status for the game but that is likely coming well before kickoff.
Assuming the matter keeps Thompson out of the lineup, the team will need to find a replacement for a corner who garnered several freshman All-America honors after picking off three passes and starting 10 games in 2018.