Kirby Smart publicly addresses arrests of Nitro Tuggle, Marques Easley

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart recently announced indefinite suspensions for two more Bulldogs players — sophomore receiver Nitro Tuggle and freshman offensive lineman Marques Easley — that made headlines last week for more driving-related arrests. Those arrests follow a long line of similar road incidents involving more than two dozen Georgia players over the last two offseasons.

Tuggle was arrested March 19 after he was caught driving his 2021 Dodge Charger 107 mph — 42 mph over the speed limit — according to a police report obtained by ESPN, while Easley was arrested March 17 after he crashed his Dodge Challenger into a residential building after veering off the road and hitting a power distribution box, according to an incident report obtained by Athens Banner-Herald’s Marc Weizer.

“Yeah, disappointed, obviously, in those two young men and the decision-making process for each one. Both of them are younger players and have made crucial mistakes,” Smart said last week during a Spring camp press conference. “As far as the process we’ve followed, it’s not been several months, it’s been several years in terms of defensive driving courses, having players ride and learn how to drive – just like my two kids did – with a driver service.

“(Georgia athletic director) Josh Brooks has done a tremendous job meeting with every player, we’ve had several speakers come in, and we continue to educate and we’re not going to stop at that,” Smart continued. “It’s very unfortunate that one of those young men got his driver’s license within one month of that happening at 18 or 19 years old. It’s amazing how many kids come to school without a driver’s license. So it’s no excuse, but it’s one of those things that we’ll continue to educate and discipline our guys to try to correct it.”

Easley, Tuggle arrests follow troubling trend involving more than two dozen Georgia football players

The two incidents are just the latest in a string of driving-related incidents plaguing the Georgia football program. One proved fatal.

Offensive lineman Devin Willock  and program staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a crash in January 2023. Since then, the program’s driving issues have been under the microscope. Yet the issues persist.

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, beginning with the infamous fatal crash in January 2023.

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.

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.