Georgia backup offensive lineman Nyier Daniels found himself behind bars Sunday morning after what can only be described as a catastrophic lapse in judgment. The redshirt freshman was arrested by Commerce police at 10 a.m. on November 23. Head coach Kirby Smart didn’t mince words when asked about the situation during his Monday press conference. He made it crystal clear that Daniels has no future with the program.​

“With that, I’ll also – I know you guys want to ask about Nyier,” said Smart. “Have not had a chance to talk to him or his family. But, obviously, he’ll no longer be with us, so.”

The charges Daniels faces are as serious as they get for a college athlete. He faces two felony counts of second-degree cruelty to children because his younger brothers were with him in the car. He also faces one felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and 10 traffic-related misdemeanors, including reckless driving and speeding. The details of Daniels’ arrest paint a disturbing picture.

According to the police report obtained by multiple outlets, Commerce police clocked Daniels driving more than 100 mph in a 25 mph zone in downtown Commerce. He then fled onto I-85 and was driving at around 150 mph. Making matters worse, Daniels’ mother, Brandi Canada Green, became involved in the chase after police had already pulled her over. 

When officers began pursuing Daniels, Green allegedly drove her vehicle “in front of the Commerce Police Department supervisor” to block him from assisting in the chase, then refused to pull over despite driving over 100 mph herself. Police eventually lost sight of Daniels on I-85 at mile marker 144. But the arrest was made after officers learned he was a Georgia player and contacted the football program.

A Georgia coach then brought Daniels to the Jackson County police department to turn himself in.​ Daniels’ arrest is just the latest in a staggering pattern of traffic-related incidents that have plagued the Georgia football program for nearly three years. Since January 2023, there have been more than 20 driving-related incidents involving players or staff. This is a troubling trend that began with the tragic deaths of offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy in a single-car crash after the team celebrated its second national championship. 

The incidents kept piling up throughout 2023 and into 2025. Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was arrested for racing and reckless driving. Offensive lineman Aliou Bah was pulled over for driving 65 mph in a 45-mph zone in February 2023. In the same month, there were two more instances. Wide receiver De’Nylon Morrissette was caught going 81 mph in a 45-mph zone. And edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. was stopped for driving 93 mph in a 65-mph zone.​

With Daniels’ arrest, particularly given the presence of two children in the vehicle and the extraordinary speeds involved, Kirby Smart appears to have drawn a hard line. Now, with his dismissal official and both he and his mother still sitting in Jackson County jail as of Monday afternoon, his football career at Georgia is over before it ever really began.​

A pattern that refuses to die

Daniels’ dismissal might feel like a decisive moment. But it’s really just the latest chapter in a year that’s seen Kirby Smart deal with one driving incident after another. In March, wide receiver Nitro Tuggle was arrested after police clocked him driving 107 mph. Freshman offensive lineman Marques Easley was arrested just days later for wrecking his Dodge Charger into a power distribution box at an apartment complex, causing damage to multiple vehicles. 

Kirby Smart suspended both players indefinitely. And they eventually transferred to Purdue, with Tuggle now serving as the Boilermakers’ second-leading receiver this season. Then, in July, offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson was arrested on substance-related charges. Unlike Tuggle and Easley, Jackson remains with the program and has appeared in 11 games this season.​ That’s why in the recent press conference, he clarified his stance on dismissing players. 

“I think (one strike and you’re out) would be your words, not my words,” Smart clarified. “I think my words would be each case is a case-by-case basis, and we’ll always evaluate things that way based on the total history of the student-athlete, what the actions were, and what they entailed.”

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The head coach detailed how Georgia had spoken to players about driving 162 times last summer alone. But despite all those efforts, the incidents keep piling up, and Smart admitted there’s “no excuse” for the pattern to persist.​