One week after his drug-related arrest, Ole Miss star Robert Nkemdiche’s college career is over.
Shortly after the school confirmed on Sunday that the former Grayson High School standout had been suspended for the Rebels’ Sugar Bowl date with Oklahoma State on Jan. 1, Nkemdiche announced he will withdraw from college and declare his eligibility for the next NFL draft.
“While I wish I could have finished this journey with my team, I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program and I am ready to begin the next phase of my life,” Nkemdiche said in a statement. “I have learned a valuable lesson in the last week and I look forward to showing NFL personnel that this is not representative of my true character.
“I want to thank my coaches, my teammates and Rebel Nation for their support these past three years and I look forward to making them proud for years to come.”
The consensus No. 1 prospect out of high school in 2013, Nkemdiche appeared in 11 games this season, recording 29 tackles, including seven for loss, as well as three sacks, seven quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. A Loganville native, Nkemdiche is expected to be a top-five pick in the draft.
He was was suspended last week just days after he was charged with possession of marijuana. Nkemdiche was arrested after an incident at a Buckhead hotel last weekend when he fell 15 feet to a concrete walkway after crawling out a fourth-floor window. He required stitches in his legs and back after the spill.
“We will continue to support him as he prepares for the next chapter in his life,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement. “I look forward to sharing with NFL general managers and scouts what a unique and talented individual he is. Robert has made an immeasurable impact on our program and we are forever indebted to him. He and his family will always be part of the Ole Miss family.”
A two-time first-team All-SEC pick and a two-time second-team All-America selection, Nkemdiche also helped out on offense this season, scoring three touchdowns, one of them on a pass reception. His was a stalwart on a defensive front that held opponents to just 3.4 yards per carry.
But as much as he caused havoc on the field, Nkemdiche could be a similar disruptive influence out of uniform. Just last month, Denzel Nkemdiche, Robert’s brother and a senior linebacker for the Rebels, was hospitalized in Mississippi for what the school described to be a “personal matter.” He hasn’t played since and is also not expected to be available for the Sugar Bowl.
Last year, the Nkemdiche brothers were sued by an Ole Miss student claiming they attacked him at a campus fraternity party. The Associated Press reported that plaintiff Matthew Baird claimed Denzel Nkemdiche punched him from behind and knocked him unconscious before Robert and five others “began to kick and stomp Baird while he was on the ground.”
The Ole Miss athletic program said at the time that authorities had investigated the matter and “could find no wrong-doing related to Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche or any other members of our football program.” The Nkemdiches filed a countersuit.
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