Three Missouri freshmen football players were arrested Monday in Columbia on suspicion of first-degree harassment, with the program now waiting on the legal process and its own school protocol to run its course.
The players taken into custody were Ahmod Billins, Karsten Fiene and Trashundon Neal. Columbia police arrested all three around 1 p.m.
Monday, and each was later released on a $1,500 bond. The specific allegations were not made public.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said the program is aware of the situation and is handling it according to school rules. MU guidelines say student-athletes charged with a felony are suspended immediately, and that a staff member along with the athletic director reviews that suspension within two days. First-degree harassment is a felony in Missouri.
At his scheduled Tuesday news conference, Drinkwitz said, “I’m going to allow the legal process to play out. I’m not going to rush to judgment,” Drinkwitz said at his scheduled Tuesday news conference. “I’m going to let the fact-finding play out before I, you know, make any decisions.”
He revisited the situation during Wednesday’s SEC coaches conference call and added, “I think there’s going to be more things, more facts to come out that will help resolve this situation,” he said.
Billins, a defensive back from Abbeville, Alabama, has appeared in three snaps at corner and one on the punt-return team. Neal, a cornerback from Liberty North who helped his high school team win the 2023 Class 6 state championship, has played three snaps in kick coverage. Fiene, a wide receiver who helped Lee’s Summit win last season’s Class 6 state title, has totaled one snap.
All three players remain on Missouri’s roster, but none has played since the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
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