Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There’s only so much you can do to prevent college kids from doing dumb things, but it’s become impossible to ignore the reckless driving epidemic involving football players at the University of Georgia. The team has managed to make some strides on that front over the past year or so, but the issue has reared its head yet again after two more members were charged in Athens.
It’s hard to envy the college football coaches who can only do so much to control the behavior of players who tend to be treated like royalty on campus and frequently have a bit of an ego that makes them especially predisposed to the questionable decision-making plenty of people their age have trouble falling victim to.
It would subsequently be unfair to pretend Georgia is the only program that has had to deal with its fair share of disciplinary issues, but at the same time, it’s hard to think of many teams that have ended up at the center of more incidents over the past few years than the one that’s helmed by Kirby Smart.
It’s been difficult to keep track of just how many Bulldogs have been hit with reckless driving charges in the Athens area since they won a national championship in 2023, but that number was hovering at around two dozen in the summer of 2024.
Smart noted there had been attempts to address the problem by fining players who landed in hot water, and it does seem like there’s been a decline in those incidents over the past year or so. However, there’s still some work to do based on the latest development on that particular front.
Two Georgia linebackers have joined the team’s “Charged With Reckless Driving” Club
From what I can tell, offensive lineman Nyier Daniels was the Georgia player who was most recently arrested for reckless driving prior to this week, as he was hit with a number of charges in November before entering the transfer portal after the season came to an end.
The team was on the verge of going three months without making headlines for the same reason, but according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that clean streak was snapped on Wednesday night.
Athens-Clarke County police logs show inside linebacker Chris Cole was booked at 9:59 on Wednesday night and charged with two misdemeanors for reckless driving and surpassing the speed limit. Outside LB Darren Ikinnagbon was entered into the system around 30 minutes later, and he was also charged with those violations in addition to one for following too closely.
Cole and Ikinnagbon were released after posting a bond of $26 and $39, respectively, and the school released a statement acknowledging the situation, saying:
“We are aware of the charges and are actively gathering additional information. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”
Cole, a rising junior, led the Bulldogs in sacks with 4.5 last year. He is expected to be a key starter next season, but it’s unclear if that will be the case for Ikinnagbon, who had less of an impact during the five games he appeared in as a true freshman.