Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com
UCLA quarterback Pierce Clarkson is facing an indefinite suspension after being arrested on a felony charge, the school confirmed to ESPN. The redshirt sophomore was taken into custody on Friday, Sept. 5 – just one day before the Bruins suffered their Week 2 defeat at UNLV.
Law enforcement officials from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department booked Clarkson over the weekend before he posted a $30,000 bond and was released. The specific charges haven’t been disclosed yet.
He’s scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 3.
Clarkson comes from football royalty. His father, Steve Clarkson, is a renowned quarterback coach who’s worked with several NFL stars over the years, including Ben Roethlisberger, Tim Tebow, and Matt Barkley.
The young signal-caller hasn’t had much playing time at the collegiate level.
After spending his first two seasons at Louisville — where he made just three appearances in a limited role — Clarkson briefly transferred to Ole Miss this spring before landing with the Bruins. He was highly recruited coming out of high school, rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked as the No. 25 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class.
During his prep career at powerhouse St. John Bosco, Clarkson attracted attention from more than two dozen Power Four programs before ultimately signing with Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals.
The university has stated that Clarkson will remain suspended “pending the outcome of the legal process.”
