News broke late Wednesday evening that Chad Clay had been dismissed from the Georgia football team.
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Clay, a freshman defensive back and former three-star prospect, was arrested on charges of theft by taking. According to the Athens-Clarke county jail website, Clay was released around 7:17 p.m. on Wednesday. Clay was released after posting a $1,500 bond.
“Unfortunately, Chad will no longer be a part of our football program” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said in a statement released by the program. “It is very disappointing, and we wish him the best in his efforts to continue his education.”
Seth Emerson of DawgNation reported that Clay was arrested for stealing a UGA student’s Apple headphones at the Ramsey Center on campus. The arrest was Clay’s second in the span of just four months. He was previously arrested on felony charges, which were related to him shooting a BB gun in his campus dorm room. That particular case is still pending.
The immediate effects of Clay’s dismissal probably aren’t extensive. He was expected to redshirt for the 2016 season because of Georgia’s depth in the secondary.
Dominick Sanders, Malkom Parrish, Aaron Davis and Reggie Wilkerson – who combined for 10 interceptions last season – are all back for 2016. So is Quincy Mauger, who started in all but one game last season. Clay would’ve been lost in that shuffle this year, so he probably would’ve sat on the bench the whole season.
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That probably would’ve changed in 2017, though. Mauger is a senior this year, so he’ll be gone by the time next season comes around. If Sanders has another strong showing in 2016, then he’ll probably test the NFL Draft – and teams would be crazy not to take him. The same goes for Parrish and Davis, who could be drafted before the 2017 season, too.
All of that means Clay likely would have seen his spot in the depth chart get elevated. His former three-star status and success at Peachtree Ridge High School probably meant he would have been a premier feature in Georgia’s secondary.
The Bulldogs will probably be fine moving forward without Clay, as they have sophomores Rico McGraw and Juwuan Briscoe rising up the ranks. They also have four-star safety Richard LeCounte III and four-star cornerback William Poole III coming in before the 2017 season, as of right now. Plus, there’s no guarantee that Sanders, Parrish and Davis will leave the program early.
But, in all likelihood, Georgia’s secondary is going to be rife with opportunity come 2017, and Clay would have been near the front of the line for playing time.
He won’t be now.