Athens-Clarke County police clocked two University of Georgia football linebackers, Chris Cole and Darren Ikinnagbon, driving matching Mercedes-Benz GLE SUVs at 105 mph in a 65 mph zone on the Route 10 Loop around Athens, Georgia, on a cloudy night in February, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Mail.
The SUVs, valued anywhere from $56,000 to $125,000, were separated by just 10 feet, the report said. Officer Caleb Cameron said the drivers slowed to 60 mph after spotting his patrol car but, even with his siren on, allegedly did not stop for another mile. Only then were the drivers identified as Cole and Ikinnagbon.
Both players were charged with vehicular misdemeanors and posted bonds of $26 and $39. Ikinnagbon has pleaded to a speeding misdemeanor and received six months' probation, 40 hours of community service and a $1,013 fine. Cole has not entered a plea. An unidentified Bulldogs coach arrived at the scene and "retrieved their vehicles," the report said.
Both players have been welcomed back to a Georgia team ranked as high as No. 3 in preseason polls for 2026. Head coach Kirby Smart, who earns $13 million a year, said at the opening of training camp that there is "not a player of higher character" than Cole, though he added both would "pay a price." No punishment has been made public.
A pattern stretching back years
The incident is mild compared with other cases involving Georgia players, including fatalities, DUIs and a 150 mph police chase. Some players have been kicked off the team, others quietly transferred, and a few faced suspensions or missed playing time. Smart has said his best tool is "the pocket," but revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness deals give players with leverage the option to simply transfer if money or playing time is cut.
Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link, describing the local reluctance to discuss the issue, told the Daily Mail: "It's like, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything else." The Bulldogs have had roughly 30 vehicular incidents and dozens of driving-related arrests since early 2023, and most city officials, police and former players declined to comment.
The University of Georgia Athletic Association said in a statement that its approach has "centered on education, clear expectations, and accountability," adding it remains focused on helping athletes make responsible decisions. Smart told ESPN in 2024 that the program requires defensive driving classes and once suspended running back Marcus Rosemy for speeding, saying, "Nobody's ever done that. That hasn't controlled it and prevented it." He said the program's NIL collective has fined players "substantially."
Florida-based sports lawyer Darren Heitner said docking player pay resembles an employer-employee relationship, which could carry legal consequences as courts examine athlete employment status. A UGAAA spokesperson said the program uses "a variety of accountability measures, including suspension of payments."
The crash that killed two people
On January 15, 2023, hours after Georgia's national championship parade, a rented Ford Expedition driven by recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy crashed, killing her and offensive lineman Devin Willock. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was accused of racing LeCroy in the early morning hours.
Investigators determined LeCroy was traveling over 100 mph when her SUV jumped the curb and hit utility poles, trees and an apartment building. Willock was pronounced dead at the scene; LeCroy died at the hospital. Staffer Victoria Bowles suffered serious injuries, and lineman Warren McClendon was knocked unconscious but survived. He now starts for the Los Angeles Rams.
Willock's estate and father have filed over $40 million in wrongful death lawsuits against the UGAAA, LeCroy's estate, the school's board of regents and Carter. LeCroy's blood-alcohol level was197 percent, more than double Georgia's legal limit. She was authorized to drive the leased Expedition on official duties, but the lawsuit says that did not cover a 2:45 a.m. drive from a strip club to a Waffle House. The suit alleges negligence in letting LeCroy drive given four speeding citations in six years and a reputation described as a "party girl or drinker."
Police video obtained by the Daily Mail shows Georgia assistant coach Bryant Gantt arriving quickly at the scene. Police Chief Jerry Saulters said he learned of the crash from Gantt, whom he described as handling "all player relations stuff." UGAAA's insurers reportedly paid Bowles a $1.5 million settlement, according to the Athens Banner-Herald, after she was fired for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the investigation; her attorney said she was actually fired over her lawsuit against the school.
Jalen Carter's路 turn from suspended license to NFL riches
Carter was driving on a suspended license the night of the crash. A month before being taken ninth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving and racing charges, receiving a year of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service. In 2024 he delayed civil proceedings using a continuance tied to his attorney, state representative Bill Cowsert, being in legislative session.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Gantt covered more than $1,000 in Carter's speeding and parking citations, though the program denied using program or university funds, saying Gantt "sometimes assisted student-athletes in the process of paying citations." Carter is now one of the NFL's top defensive tackles, having signed a $152 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
More arrests and a 150 mph chase
De'Nylon Morrissette pleaded guilty to DUI before transferring to Purdue. Nyier Daniels was dismissed from the team after leading police in nearby Jackson County on a 150 mph chase with his minor siblings in the car; he has pleaded not guilty. Former Georgia and Cincinnati Bengals star David Pollack said on his podcast that players have been timing themselves racing around the Loop: "Not good. Not smart." He blamed NIL money: "We didn't have these cars because we didn't have this money. So, more money more problems, right?"
Wealth, rent and resentment in Athens
UGA is on track for a fifth straight fall of record enrollment, which Link credits partly to the football team's success, saying it "became more competitive to get in here." Rents in Athens have risen above the national average while a quarter of the population remains at or below the poverty line, according to 2024 data. Link said $2 million condos are being built as wealthy fans buy second homes near the team, adding, "It's sad... you have that much wealth coming in here for a really specific singular purpose, and it doesn't necessarily trickle down." She also said air traffic at the local airport gets "nuts" on football weekends.
A chilling effect on critics
Pollack declined to discuss the problems further. Link said, "Very few people will vocalize their outrage because of the criticism and the retaliation that they'll get." In 2022, after she remarked that some Georgia players were "out there raping and murdering," she faced backlash from state representative Houston Gaines and the local NAACP, though two Georgia players had in fact been accused of rape and murder around that time: former receiver Ahkil Crumpton was sentenced to life for a 2021 killing, and former linebacker Adam Anderson pleaded down 2021 rape charges to misdemeanor sexual battery. Link's separate job as managing editor of an academic journal was reduced and later eliminated after 22 years; UGA said it was a routine funding-related reduction unrelated to her outside activities.
What comes next
Pollack said in 2025 that "there is no solution." Driving-related arrests have continued, with the most recent in May. The Georgia football program generates around $150 million in annual revenue and continues to need elite recruits, many of whom arrive in Athens, in Link's words, with "a pocket full of cash and a brand-new ride." She said: "What are you going to do with a million dollars as a 19-year-old who's never had his hands on anything near that? I wouldn't make a good decision. You got a hot rod, you want to use it."
