Tennessee starter arrested on felony assault charge heading into Alabama game

Tennessee starter arrested on felony assault charge heading into Alabama game

Tennessee’s Jaylen McCollough was arrested and charged with aggravated felony assault Sunday, according to a Knox County Sherriff’s Office arrest warrant obtained by Knox News.

According to the report, around 3:28 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a call at an apartment. A man with a “bloody, swollen mouth and missing teeth” said he had been drinking with friends that live in the complex when he went to get items from a vehicle, according to the arrest warrant.

When he returned, he said, he accidentally went to the wrong building. He knocked on the door but no one answered. So he opened the unlocked door and entered the apartment.

He told police he apologized and left, but a man pursued him and became aggressive.

The man punched him in the face, and he fell backward down the stairs and lost consciousness.

The starting safety, 21, is a four-year starter for the Vols. This season he is tied for fourth on the team with 23 tackles. He had seven tackles in Tennessee’s 40-13 win over LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

No. 8 Tennessee (5-0, 2-0 SEC) plays No. 1 Alabama (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) at Neyland Stadium.

Check out the full report.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.