ATHENS — Just as it appeared Georgia was building championship-level depth on its football team, the Bulldogs were hit with a disciplinary situation that resulted in the loss of three players.
Defensive backs Nick Marshall and Chris Sanders and wide receiver Sanford Seay were dismissed from the team Friday by coach Mark Richt for an undisclosed violation of team rules. All three are freshmen who were members of Georgia’s 2011 “Dream Team” recruiting class.
“It’s a privilege to play college football and to be a part of this team and university,” Richt said in a statement released late Friday morning. “Along with that privilege comes certain responsibilities. Mistakes were made, and part of our job is helping them learn from mistakes. Going forward, we are committed to assisting them find opportunities where they can continue their education.”
Marshall and Sanders bring to five the number of defensive backs Georgia has lost who would have otherwise had eligibility for this coming season. Cornerbacks Jordan Love and Derek Owens and safety Jakar Hamilton left the team during the 2011 season.
Meanwhile, another disciplinary situation in the defensive backfield remains unresolved. Senior cornerback Sanders Commings was arrested Jan. 21 and charged with domestic violence/simple battery. That case has yet to be adjudicated, but Commings is facing a multiple-game suspension, per the UGA athletic association’s conduct codes regarding non-traffic-related arrests.
UGA officials would not address what precipitated the latest dismissals or if they were all for the same offense. The three players either did not return phone calls or could not be reached for comment.
Marshall’s high school coach, Mark Ledford, was reached by the AJC on Friday morning.
“I don’t want to comment on what Nick did,” said Ledford, head football coach at Wilcox County High. “All I’ll say is I’ve been informed he is going to be released from UGA. As far as the details, I’d rather wait and see what Georgia is going to say officially.”
Marshall, an AJC Super 11 player in 2010, was expected to play a significant role in Georgia’s secondary next season. He played sparingly as a cornerback and nickel back, but extensively on special teams as a freshman last season. A four-star basketball prospect as a guard, he was expected to join the Bulldogs’ basketball team eventually.
“There were going to be a lot of opportunities for him,” Ledford said. “It’s a shame he’s wasting those opportunities at Georgia. He’s going to have to accept the consequences and hopefully learn from them.”
Sanders, an all-state safety at Tucker, played in the first three games for Georgia before being sidelined with an injury the remainder of the season. He was expected to have four years of eligibility remaining and contribute in the secondary.
Seay, who is from Leesburg, was redshirted last season.
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