By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Nitro Tuggle was arrested early on March 25 on two misdemeanor charges: reckless driving and speeding-maximum limits.

He was booked into Athens-Clarke County jail just before 2 a.m., with his bond set at $26.

Georgia announced that Tuggle has been suspended indefinitely. He will be a sophomore this season and has become one of many UGA football players to be arrested on driving-related charges.

Georgia also announced that Marques Easley, a second-year offensive lineman, is suspended indefinitely. Easley was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct after crashing in front of an apartment complex with no injuries.

The situation involving Georgia offensive lineman Marques Easley has taken another turn.

Easley was arrested in Oconee County on Friday and was charged with reckless conduct and reckless driving. According to jail records, the 19-year-old was booked at 4:35 p.m. on Friday and released at 5:04 p.m. on a $1,000 bond. The details regarding Easley’s class were made public on Friday.

According to the crash report from the incident, Easley’s 2021 Dodge Challenger was traveling west on Redwood Lane in Watkinsville in what the reporting officer described as “a reckless regard” on Monday.

Easley lost control of the vehicle, which began to rotate clockwise and run off the roadway before striking a power distribution box with its front. The vehicle then struck the passenger side of a second vehicle — a 2013 Hyundai Elantra — with its driver’s side.

Per the report, that impact caused the Elantra to strike a third vehicle — a 2018 Mercedes Benz CLA — with its driver side.

The Challenger’s impact with the Elantra caused the Challenger to hit the front of 1313 Redwood Lane with its front before it came to a final rest.

Per the report, Easley told the reporting officer he lost control of the car while “traveling between 25-30 MPH prior to the crash.” The crash report states that “the investigating troopers found this to be an inaccurate account of [what] happened due to the amount of damage from the crash and the fact that [Easley’s Challenger] had tire marks going back an estimated 200 feet.”

“The tire marks were consistent with a vehicle laying drag,” the report stated.

Easley was taken to Piedmont Athens Regional due to the accident, though the details of his injuries were not listed in the crash report.

A second Georgia player — cornerback Ondre Evans — was listed on the crash report among the six occupants involved. Evans was not taken to the hospital following the accident.

The crash report states that Easley was given three citations for the incident: one for reckless driving and two for reckless conduct causing harm to or endangering the bodily safety of another.

Easley’s arrest is the 10th known arrest of a Georgia football player for driving-related offenses since the big incident in January 2023: player Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a high speed car accident.

LeCroy was found to be over the legal drinking limit and racing with Jalen Carter, who pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and therefore did not serve any jail time.

Coach Smart said last summer that the program was doing several things to limit, then eliminate these persistent driving issues with players.

Guest speakers have made several appearances to the team and Georgia’s collective is set to withhold payments to the players. Smart called the fines “substantial”.