Tennessee cornerback Doneiko Slaughter cited for reckless driving

Tennessee cornerback Doneiko Slaughter was cited for reckless driving following last week’s loss to Georgia, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Tuesday. He is the second Vols player to be charged with reckless driving citation this season after freshman running back DeSean Bishop was cited on Oct. 29.

“We are aware of the citation, and this matter is being handled internally,” Tennessee said in a statement.

Slaughter was issued two misdemeanor citations from the University of Tennessee Police Department during a traffic stop at 1 a.m. Sunday. According to the police report, he made an improper lane change and drove over a median.

Slaughter has been a starting cornerback for the Vols this season. He has managed 32 tackles, including one for loss. The defensive back is in his fourth year at Tennessee, having made 14 starts in that span. He has 87 tackles, one interception and seven passes defended for his career.

Although this is his fourth collegiate season, Doneiko Slaughter could return to Tennessee for the 2024 season due to an extra year of eligibility granted by the COVID season. He has not yet announced his decision.

Slaughter played Saturday against Georgia, making a season-high 11 tackles in the loss. It’s unclear at this point whether he will face any sort of suspension as a result of the reckless driving citation.

Tennessee closes out the regular season against Vanderbilt at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Knoxville.

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop also received reckless driving charge

Just a few weeks before Slaughter received his citation, Bishop was charged with reckless driving on Oct. 29. His incident occurred just before 1 a.m. following a 33-27 victory against Kentucky.

Although it was a road game, Bishop did not travel to Lexington with the team. He stayed back in Knoxville, which is where he received the charge.

His traffic stop occurred near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Mount Castle Street at the edge of UT’s campus. He was driving a 2018 Dodge Charger, according the report. No other details were provided.

Bishop has not played in a game for the Volunteers this season after suffering an injury in preseason camp.

Bishop played high school football at Karns (Tn.) High School, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1380 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.