Kirby Smart repeated Monday what he’s said before about the suspension status of Riley Ridley and Elijah Holyfield, who were both arrested for marijuana possession earlier this year.
“Both of those guys, discipline will be handled internally,” Smart said.
When asked whether that would include playing time, Smart repeated that it will be “handled internally.”
UGA’s student-athlete handbook calls for a player to be suspended for 10 percent of their games after a marijuana possession. In the case of football, that’s one game.
Smart’s answer doesn’t necessarily mean a suspension won’t happen. Last year Smart confirmed that Julian Rochester would plan in the opener, after Rochester had the BB-gun arrest in the offseason.
Ridley was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession in March. He entered a pre-trial diversion program less than two months later.
Holyfield was arrested in May, also on a marijuana possession charge, and also entered a pre-trial program a couple months later.
Ridley is a candidate for a lot of passes thrown his way this season, after a solid freshman year (12 catches for 238 yards and two touchdowns, three rushes for 41 yards.) Junior Terry Godwin enters the season as Georgia’s No. 1 receiver, but there are a number of possibilities after that, including Ridley.
Holyfield, on the other hand, appears to be fourth or even fifth on the Bulldogs’ impressive tailback depth chart. Seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are atop it, with sophomore Brian Herrien coming off a good year, and freshman D’Andre Swift drawing raves this preseason.
