Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil was arrested Friday on a charge of domestic violence in which he is alleged to have assaulted his stepfather in defense of his mother.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze addressed the incident in detail.
"We can confirm that Laremy Tunsil turned himself in and was arrested for a misdemeanor, domestic violence-simple assault," Freeze said in an ESPN report. "The incident occurred Thursday night and involves Laremy defending his mother against his stepfather. Laremy realizes he could have handled it differently, but I am proud of him for standing up for his mother and protecting his family. Laremy and his mother have also pressed charges against the stepfather. As we gather more facts, we will act and make decisions accordingly."
According to the report, Tunsil was at the home of his mother, Desiree, when the incident occured, and both he and his mother have pressed charges against the stepfather, Lindsey Miller.
NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein named Tunsil the top offensive tackle to watch in the college game this fall. The 6-5, 305-pound junior was named second team All-SEC last season. He fractured his leg in the Rebels' Peach Bowl loss to Texas Christian, and has undergone rehabilitation in the offseason. He has been optimistic that he will be ready for the start of the season.
An NFC scout told College Football 24/7 that the circumstances under which Tunsil's arrest came would likely be met with understanding from NFL clubs in character evaluations of Tunsil, "if it checks out," indicating that clubs would still do their own investigating into the incident.
Tunsil has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, unless he applies for early entry into the 2016 NFL Draft.
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