Kirby Smart issued a brief statement on the dismissal of freshman defensive back Chad Clay:
 
“Unfortunately, Chad will no longer be a part of our football program,” said Smart. “It is very disappointing, and we wish him the best in his efforts to continue his education.”
 
 
Clay, a three-star prospect from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, had been disciplined earlier in the year when he was arrested as a result of an incident with a BB gun in his dorm. room. The dismissal, however, is probably the result of what Athens-Clarke County jail records report as an arrest on theft by taking charges. He was released on $1,500 bond at 7:17 Wednesday night.
 
 
Marc Weiszer of The Athens Banner-Herald reported: “The case number to Clay’s arrest is referenced on the University of Georgia police log from an incident Monday at the Ramsey Center. A male student reported between 4:10 and 5:50 p.m. that his Apple headphones, valued at $30, were stolen while left unattended in the building. Police were notified shortly thereafter.”