A midnight drive has put Missouri’s football team in a tough spot. Freshman linebacker JJ Bush was arrested in Columbia after speeding away from police in his 2024 Ford Mustang just one day after two Ole Miss players were charged with DUI in a separate incident. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz did not hesitate, immediately suspending the young defender indefinitely while the legal system takes over.

“We are disappointed in JJ’s actions,” Drinkwitz said. “He is indefinitely suspended from the team as the legal process plays out.”

The trouble started when an officer spotted Bush flying at 80 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. When the police lights flashed, Bush did not stop. He kept racing down the road for nearly half a minute before heavy traffic forced him to hit the brakes.

This reckless choice earned him a Class D felony charge for aggravated fleeing, plus a careless driving misdemeanor. During questioning, he offered a simple excuse, “That’s just how my car is,” and later admitted, “I f—ed up. Driving crazy,” according to the report. After this, the police took him to the Columbia Police Department. He was booked for felony aggravated fleeing and careless driving. The incident quickly became a big concern for the Missouri football team.

Things turned messier when Bush told police he did not see the police car until the lights were turned on. When the officer asked why he kept speeding, Bush said he was not really speeding and added, “That’s just how my car is.” He also said he was driving around 80–90 mph. After the arrest, Bush was released on bond before the case was officially filed, according to court records.

This suspension leaves Missouri’s defense scrambling. The team recently lost star linebacker Josiah Trotter, who made it to the pros, getting drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bush was expected to be a reliable backup to help fill that massive gap. Now, the linebacker room is painfully thin. On top of that, for Bush, too, it’s a disappointing start to his college football career. But is it just about Bush, or is there a cultural problem in Missouri?

Missouri players involved in rash driving cases

This is not the first time Eli Drinkwitz’s team has faced such an issue. Missouri defensive end Zion Young was earlier charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding, which became another off-field problem for the team. The incident happened on Dec. 13 at around 1:31 a.m. A state trooper saw Young driving 64 mph in a 50-mph zone on Providence Road and pulled him over.

When the officer spoke to him, he noticed a strong smell of alcohol. Young said he was coming from “My House,” a bar in downtown Columbia, and claimed he did not have “too much” to drink.

When asked to explain what he meant, Young replied, “I don’t know.” The situation got more serious when he refused to take both a field sobriety test and a breath test. There was another Missouri player who faced a similar issue. Redshirt senior defensive lineman Antar Thompson was arrested and charged with driving carelessly and trying to run from police.

He was arrested by Missouri campus police and later booked in Boone County. After this incident, Missouri decided to suspend him from the team. Now, with Bush getting involved in such a case, Missouri must be looking to really consider this and make stricter rules for its players in the future. It’s safe to say that off-field discipline remains a massive hurdle across the SEC.