Five Rutgers football players were arrested on Thursday on charges of assault and home invasion.
According to the Associated Press, cornerback Nadir Barnwell, defensive back Ruhann Peele, fullback Razohnn Gross, and defensive back Delon Stephenson were charged with aggravated assault, riot and conspiracy to commit a riot after a fight in April left a guy with a broken jaw. Defensive back Andre Boggs was charged with two home-invasion robberies in April and May. Three of the arrested players, Barnwell, Boggs, and Stephenson were starters on the team. The arrested players have been suspended from the program indefinitely.
"The students involved are currently suspended from our program,'' Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann said. “We continue to monitor the situation. We will have no further comment as this is a pending legal matter.''
Barnwell is also at the center of a school investigation in to whether Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood violated school or NCAA rules by contacting a faculty member about Barnwell’s academic status. Flood, who is entering his fourth season as coach, is 23-16 as Rutgers coach, according to ESPN. He has led Rutgers to a bowl game in each of his three seasons as head coach.
Rutgers was 8-5 last season. They open the season on Saturday against Norfolk State.