What Kirby Smart said about Georgia football WR Colbie Young's arrest

Hours before Georgia football practiced Tuesday afternoon for Saturday's game at Mississippi State, wide receiver Colbie Young was released from the Clarke County Jail on bond following his early morning arrest.

The Miami transfer was charged with assault and battery, both misdemeanors, after police spoke with a woman who identified herself as Young's ex-girlfriend.

“It’s a legal matter,” coach Kirby Smart said. “He's not with us at the moment. I haven't had a chance to talk to him.”

The female had a bruise and discoloration on the underside of her chest where it meets her stomach, as well as redness on her right flank, according to a police incident report obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald. The woman told police Young picked her up and squeezed her torso and stomach very hard.

According to police, Young denied grabbing the accuser.

Kim Stephens, Young's attorney, said in a statement to the Banner-Herald that Young was arrested “after he asked his ex-girlfriend to leave his apartment.” He made no physical contact with her other than that could be considered a crime. I expect that Mr. Young will be fully exonerated once our investigation is complete and the truth emerges.”

Smart said he learned of Young's arrest when he woke up Tuesday.

“It was one of those 7 a.m. deals,” he said.

Young is the seventh Georgia football player known to have been arrested this year. There have been 16 incidents in Georgia this year in which players were arrested or charged with reckless driving, racing, speeding or assault.

“If there are 130 17- to 23-year-olds, there will be problems,” Smart said. “It won't be perfect and I'm fully aware that we have to do a better job. But it's hard. It’s tough on our staff because we have really good kids and really good people, man.”

Georgia's two highest-profile transfer additions this offseason were arrested in their first year with the program.

Running back Trevor Etienne was suspended for the opening game against Clemson after being arrested for drunken driving and reckless driving. The drunken driving charge was dismissed and he pleaded no contest to reckless driving as part of a plea agreement.

In Georgia, “a person commits the crime of assault on an unborn child when that person without lawful justification attempts to inflict violent harm on an unborn child,” according to Georgia Code 16-5-28, listed on the website law.justia .com.

Wide receiver Rara Thomas, a transfer from Mississippi State, was arrested July 26 on charges of second-degree felony against children and two misdemeanor counts of family violence/abuse. He was released on the first day of preason practice.

In 2023, Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program on an assault/family violence charge, while a false imprisonment charge was dismissed. These charges followed an arrest on January 23, 2023 for an incident involving a woman at a UGA residence hall.

After the season-opening win over Clemson, Smart called Young “a highly skilled kid.” We talk to these children and visit them. I want my team to remain my team. I've always said that. If you could give me every team kid I sign to stay in my program for four years and not be able to leave, I would take that any day of the week. But when we lose kids, we have to replace them with quality kids who are character kids, who want a chance to win a championship, who want to go somewhere and play, because otherwise it's without the depth that you need, can They won't survive in the SEC. It's a forced situation. You have to use it.”

–More to come

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