Vanderbilt’s season was already slipping away. Their struggles continued after a 52-17 defeat to No. 9 Ole Miss left the Commodores at 3-3 overall and 0-3 in SEC play, a sharp contrast to their 10-2 campaign in 2025. Unfortunately, the team now faces another challenge after one of its wide receivers was arrested on three charges.

By Monday, the player had been removed from the roster, leaving Vanderbilt with another personnel change at a time when the team can’t afford further setbacks.

“BREAKING: Vanderbilt wide receiver Kayleb Barnett is no longer with the program after being arrested Sunday on charges of Aggravated Assault-Strangulation, Identity Theft, and False Identification,” Joey Dwyer of Vanderbilt Commodores On SI reported via X.

Sophomore Kayleb Barnett faces three charges. Here’s what happened: A Metro Nashville Police Department officer stationed outside Barstool on Second Avenue South spotted what appeared to be a confrontation. It was towards the south of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Barnett reportedly had a person in a chokehold. Authorities witnessed the victim fall to the ground and stay motionless for some time. The victim was said to be bleeding heavily.

That’s when the player was detained.

His bond totaled $5,000: $3,500 for the strangulation charge, $1,000 for identity theft, and $500 for false ID. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office says he was released the same day, and Barnett is due in court on November 13 for a settlement hearing.

According to the arrest affidavit, a Metro Nashville officer outside Barstool on Second Avenue saw Barnett holding a man in a chokehold near the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. The officer wrote that the man fell to the ground, motionless, with a lot of blood around him. Though the injured man woke up shortly after Barnett was detained, police mentioned that the receiver was taken in without incident.

A witness who was the victim’s designated driver said Barnett threw the first punch, while Barnett told police the other man swung first as he dodged it and held him down to stop the fight. Police have called Barnett the “predominant aggressor.”

The other two charges stemmed from the search, during which officers found two IDs bearing Barnett’s name and photo but different birth dates. One was his own, showing he was under 21, while the other belonged to someone else, as his court records list his birth date as August 2006.

“We are aware of the situation,” Vanderbilt’s statement read. “Kayleb Barnett violated team and university standards and is no longer with the program.”

Barnett was a gadget player, a 5-foot-8 sophomore used on jet sweeps and short throws, and he was listed as second-string receiver before the Ole Miss game. This year, he posted seven catches for 36 yards, a long of 12, one carry for two yards, and 51 snaps.

Against Ole Miss, he caught two passes for minus-6 yards. As a freshman in 2025, he had six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, six carries for 29 yards, and a 21-yard kick return against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Now with Vandy’s thin skill depth, freshman quarterback Jared Curtis has fewer targets for the season.

Vanderbilt faces major roster shake-up ahead of crucial SEC clash

With Barnett off the program, the Commodores rely on Junior Sherrill and Ja’Cory Thomas listed at one spot. They will likely have Brycen Coleman and Cole Adams at another, and Tristen Brown is the starter where Barnett was the backup.

Sherrill is the first-choice kick returner, with Evan Hampton considered the other option as Barnett is gone.

Vanderbilt hosts Arkansas on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium, with both teams sitting at 0-3 in the SEC. Arkansas is 2-4 after losing to Tennessee. However, Vanderbilt also has a lower chance of winning the game due to roster challenges.