Tennessee LB A.J. Johnson, one of the top returning seniors in college football, was arrested Saturday along with Vols teammate DT Danny O'Brien, according to The Associated Press.
Johnson was charged with purchasing alcohol for a person underage and resisting arrest and O'Brien was charged with criminal impersonation, resisting arrest and underage consumption of alcohol, per the report.
The AP reported former UT linebacker Dontavis Sapp was also arrested on charges that include resisting arrest. Johnson has a court appearance set for Feb. 21 and Sapp and O'Brien are due to appear Feb. 20, nooga.com reported.
All three players have been released, according to The AP, and nooga.com reported former UT walk-on Isaac Mobley was charged with underage consumption of alcoholic beverages, wine or beer.
It's not the best of starts for Johnson's last year to impress NFL scouts. The SEC's leading returning tackler with 324 career stops strongly considered making an early jump to the NFL, but announced he would stay for his senior season on Jan. 7. Johnson will be among the nation's top senior prospects for the 2015 NFL Draft. Sapp, who made 66 tackles as a senior in 2013, was not among the 335 prospects invited to this year's NFL Scouting Combine and O'Brien, a redshirt sophomore, made 12 tackles in 12 games as a backup last season.
UT coach Butch Jones acknowledged the arrests Sunday by releasing a statement.
"We are aware of the situation and are still in the preliminary stages of gathering all facts and information," Jones said. "We have very high standards and expectations within our football program at the University of Tennessee, and appropriate action will be taken."
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