Georgia players Nitro Tuggle, Marques Easley suspended indefinitely after reported arrest

Two Georgia football players have been suspended indefinitely by head coach Kirby Smart. Both players have had recent driving-related incidents, with receiver Nitro Tuggle and offensive lineman Marques Easley the two in question.

News of Tuggle’s incident broke early Thursday morning. He was arrested by the Athens-Clarke County Police on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and speeding, according to UGASports.com. Easley’s infraction had not previously been reported, though UGASports.com noted he had had a driving-related incident.

Tuggle, a rising sophomore, was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at approximately 1:56 am ET Thursday morning. He was released an hour later after posting a $20 cash bond, according to online records.

Easley, on the other hand, was reportedly involved in a crash at a residential location. According to Marc Weiszer of the Athens-Banner Herald, a white Dodge Challenger lost control and left the roadway, hitting a power distribution box in the front. The car also hit two other vehicles as it continued on its path.

The two driving-related incidents followed a string of similar car-related arrests the Bulldogs experienced over the last several offseasons. Last July, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution released a report revealing Georgia football players were involved in 24 driving-related incidents since January 2023.

The breakdown, which the AJC published after a new round of arrests last Summer, begins with the infamous fatal crash in January 2023. That incident killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy.

Last September, Bulldogs defensive back Daniel Harris was arrested for driving 106 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. Harris also was charged with not wearing a seatbelt, operating an unregistered vehicle without a license plate, driving without proof of insurance, and having illegal window tint.

Kirby Smart addresses spring game, changes

While multiple coaches and college football programs around the country — including within the SEC — have already decided to forgo the traditional Spring football game format in favor of something akin to a summer fair-like atmosphere, Kirby Smart wants to leave his options open.

Although Georgia has already announced plans for its annual G-Day Spring game on April 12, with the glorified scrimmage currently set to be televised live on the ESPN, the Bulldogs head coach isn’t ready to make any definitive statements about this year’s Spring game beyond that.

“Everybody has different approaches. My approach has been, I like to have Spring football games,” Smart said during a pre-Spring press conference. “But every year we make that decision based on where we are. We haven’t even practiced yet. So, I’d be remiss if I said, ‘100-percent I’m dead-set we’re having a Spring game.’ I leave every option open. That’s our 15^th practice, so we can do what we want to do. We’re planning to have a Spring game.”

On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this report.