Backlash Intensifies for Kirby Smart Following Another Arrest in Georgia Program

Early Tuesday morning, Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Colbie Young was arrested in Athens, Georgia, on two misdemeanor charges: battery and assault on an unborn child. He was booked at 4:18 a.m. by Athens-Clarke County Police .

This arrest has reignited discussions and backlash against Georgia head coach Kirby Smart , who has faced increasing scrutiny over the mounting off-field issues within his program dating back to last year.

Since January, Georgia players have been involved in 27 incidents of reckless driving or speeding, and the program is still recovering from a recent incident involving star running back Trevor Etienne , who was cited for a DUI charge that was later dropped following an agreed plea deal.

These ongoing issues have raised significant concerns about Smart's ability to effectively discipline and manage his players, and fans reacted strongly to the news about Colbie Young, expressing their frustrations with Smart and the Georgia program.

"Death, Taxes, and Georgia players being arrested..." one commenter noted.

"Disgusting, major culture problem going on over there," another fan posted.

"In all seriousness—could Kirby get fired if this doesn’t stop? I know this is the SEC and morals are optional, but still. This is insane," someone else proposed.

"A coach can’t control every action by his players, but Georgia is lacking is leadership in a big way right now. I don’t know the details of this incident, but something isn’t working in Athens. It’s Kirby Smart’s job to figure it out." One more fan posted .

Despite the criticism, Smart has repeatedly stated that he and the team do discipline players for their arrests and citations through suspensions (as seen with Etienne), fines, and even dismissals from the program.

Related: Multiple Charges Filed Against Star Georgia WR Following Overnight Arrest