Five players on the Rutgers football team were charged Thursday with assaulting a group of individuals, according Keith Sargeant of NJ.com. It was an unprovoked attack that resulted in one student having his jaw broken, according to the report.
The players were identified as Ruhann Peele, Nadir Barnwell, Rahzonn Gross, Delon Stephenson, and Andre Boggs. Barnwell is the key student athlete in a separate investigation into head coach Kyle Flood's contact with faculty.
All five of the current football players have been arrested, but Daryl Stephenson, a former Rutgers student, remains at large. The arrests were made because of a continuing investigation by both the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office and the New Brunswick Police Department.
Rutgers announced that all players from this incident have been suspended indefinitely.
Outside of the Rutgers football players, there were five others charged involved in this investigation and all were arrested Thursday.
Rutgers was 8-5 in its first season in the Big Ten last year, and it will likely be very difficult for the team to keep all of the off-field distractions from affecting football. Rutgers opens up this weekend against Norfolk State, but its season only gets tougher as the Scarlet Knights face Ohio State, Michigan State, and Nebraska throughout the season.
Rutgers had only three wins in the Big Ten last season and two of them were by three points or less. Flood will have to insert some discipline or structure if he wishes for this team to be successful, but it seems the Scarlett Knights' season is starting in turmoil.
