Tennessee has dismissed starting outside linebacker Kivon Bennett from the football team following his arrest on gun and drug charges near campus on Tuesday, Volunteers coach Jeremy Pruitt said in a statement.
Bennett, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, led the Volunteers with 7½ tackles for loss and was tied for the team lead with 4½ sacks. He is the son of former Alabama and NFL linebacker Cornelius Bennett.
Kivon Bennett is facing felony charges of possession of a firearm during commission or attempt to commit a felony and possession of Schedule 6 drugs with intent, in addition to misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a weapon.
He was being held in the Knox County Jail, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s website.
“Kivon Bennett has been dismissed from our football program following a traffic stop earlier [Tuesday],” Pruitt said in a statement. “There is a standard our student-athletes are expected to uphold at Tennessee, and [Tuesday’s] incident fell well short of that standard.”
According to a police report, Bennett was pulled over for speeding near campus Tuesday morning. The officer smelled marijuana in the car, and Bennett advised the officer that he had a handgun under his seat. Police found 44.9 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, storage bags and a handgun, according to the report.
The Volunteers (2-5) play No. 6 Florida (7-1) at home on Saturday.
