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.​

“I have not had a chance to talk to Nyier or his family, but obviously he’ll no longer be with us,” Smart said bluntly. 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 of reckless behavior that put innocent lives at risk. 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 stopped for driving 65 mph in a 45-mph zone. Wide receiver De’Nylon Morrissette caught going 81 mph in a 45-mph zone. And edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. 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. Daniels, a former four-star recruit, appeared in just four games during his Georgia career, all against non-Power Four opponents. 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 started.​

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 drug-related charges, including felony possession of marijuana of more than one ounce, after being pulled over for holding his phone while driving. Unlike Tuggle and Easley, Jackson remains with the program and has appeared in 11 games this season.​

Smart has repeatedly expressed frustration about his inability to convince players to stop speeding and driving recklessly. In a statement after the Tuggle and Easley arrests, he said, “both of them are younger players and have made crucial mistakes.” He also disclosed that “one of those young men got his driver’s license within one month of that happening at 18 or 19 years old,” adding that “it’s amazing how many kids come to school now without a driver’s license.”

The head coach detailed how Georgia has 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 continuing.​