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NCAA Facing Calls To Punish Kirby Smart's Program After Thursday's Arrest
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- NCAA Facing Calls To Punish Kirby Smart's Program After Thursday's Arrest
Another college football offseason, another Georgia Bulldogs driving arrest.
The Bulldogs have had dozens of driving-related arrests and offenses since Kirby Smart took over as head coach. While Smart has led the Athens, Georgia program to multiple national titles, he's faced continued scrutiny for off-the-field issues. Perhaps it's time that the NCAA finally does something about it.
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On Thursday, news broke of Georgia Ja'Marley Riddle's arrest. Riddle was arrested on two felony charges for possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor speeding charge. According to a police report acquired by WGIG 98.7 FM out of Glynn County , Riddle was caught driving close to 100 MPH. He was clocked in at 95 MPH, per the report.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks toward the field during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.© Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Riddle was reportedly stopped while driving his Dodge Durango south on Interstate 95 around 95 miles per hour. Police reportedly noticed a marijuana smell coming out of the vehicle. Officers then searched the car, with Riddle's approval, and found a heat-sealed bag with "multicolor packaging, some with a leafy substance stating marijuana, and some containing vapes stating THC," according to the report.
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The East Carolina transfer was reportedly full compliant during the arrest.
This is the latest in a troubling trend for Georgia
Since January of 2023, close to 30 Georgia football players have faced driving-related legal issues, from speeding tickets to arrests.
Smart previously admitted that it's an issue that needs to be fixed.
"We'll continue to look at these on a case-by-case basis," Smart said. "There's things that surround each one of these outside of just the immediate reaction is, 'How in the world can this happen again?' And I get that, but each one is a case-by-case basis. You have to look at as these are your children. That's the way I look at it. I look (at) what I would do with my children and there's 18 to 19 to 20 year olds. They make mistakes. The consequences that come with those are based on a case-by-case basis. That's really what these two right now are doing."
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But following this latest issue, fans are calling for the NCAA to come in and enact some type of punishment.
"NCAA has to punish this program at some point. I mean what are we even doing man?" one fan suggested.
"t does seem like that should happen. They're Georgia's players, but they're also the NCAA's players. At some point action needs to be taken against Georgia. Same exact thing every year," one added.
"Punishment is needed!" one added.
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Georgia, meanwhile, has been working to fix it.
"...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's service," Smart said.
But clearly, it's not fixing anything.
This story was originally published by The Spun on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
