Kentucky has dismissed defensive end Jason Hatcher from the program following his arrest for drug trafficking early this morning, according to a short statement from the university that was reported by the Lexington Herald Leader.
Hatcher was originally stopped for speeding early Monday morning, but was then discovered to have three-fourths of a pound of marijuana inside a passenger seat floorboard of his car and another quarter-pound of the drug down his pants, per Sheriff Pat Melton. On top of the trafficking charge, a D felony, he was charged with tampering with physical evidence (also a D felony) as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. The possession charge alone carries a potential jail sentence of one to five years.
This dismissal is not at all surprising as Hatcher, a former four-star recruit from Louisville, was known more for his issues off the field than he was for his work on it in spite of a great deal of talent. As a freshman, he and two teammates were suspended for a game against Georgia. He was cited for possession in 2014, though that charge was expunged after he completed a drug education program, and he was suspended for two games this season for an unspecified violation of team rules.
Either way, Hatcher’s dismissal leaves Kentucky with a gaping hole in the pass-rushing department as he was expected to take a big step forward in 2016 after an ankle injury limited him to seven games last season. That should be able to be fixed easily enough but in terms of Hatcher’s football career, it’s all but over thanks to a tremendous waste of talent.
