Davon Durant went from highly-touted JUCO recruit for Arizona State University to being dismissed from the Sun Devils before participating in a single practice, all in the span of less than a year. Now the talented-yet-troubled linebacker has found a new team to play for – starting in 2016.
Durant transferred to Marshall University, where he is expected to play for the Thundering Herd starting in the 2016 season per NCAA transfer rules.
By Cory Burrell
Durant attended Butler Community College, who boast one of the top football programs in the nation among junior colleges. In five games, Durant tallied 45 tackles, three of which were sacks.
Durant’s play quickly garnered the linebacker national attention. He was named a five-star recruit and considered among the top junior college players as well as the top linebackers for the 2015 college season. In December, Durant signed with Arizona State. He was the first five-star recruit to sign with the Sun Devils since Todd Graham became head coach in December of 2011.
Before the start of spring practices, Durant was arrested and charged after an altercation with his girlfriend; he was indefinitely suspended from the team following his arrest. Durant’s charges included aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.
According to a report by ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, Durant’s girlfriend, Kelsei Langley (who wished to be named in ESPN’s report), recanted her assault claim, stating what happened between her and Durant was only a verbal altercation. Langley told ESPN she lied to the police about the assault and that she went to the police to change her official statement the next day.
“When I lied to the police, it was out of spite,” Langley said in ESPN’s report. “I wasn’t thinking. It was a very vengeful and spiteful thing to do.”
In an email to ESPN, Tempe Public Information Officer Michael Pooley confirmed Langley told police she lied about the initial incident, but also said Durant was arrested and charged because the police had “independent witnesses that witnessed the assault on her and the bruising and injuries to her face and neck.”
In May, Durant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in exchange for the dismissal of all other charges. In June, Durant was sentenced to two years of probation.
In July, Arizona State officially dismissed Durant from the team. Graham confirmed Durant was no longer with the team in a report by Sports Illustrated, stating that Durant and ASU had “parted ways.”
“He put himself in that position,” Graham said. “It’s a bad deal, but you’ve got to have accountability. We don’t just talk about character and discipline. We live it. No matter what the legal system does, our standards are high and our guys know that. They know they’re going to be held accountable.”
Durant now joins Marshall, a school with several prominent NFL alumni, including Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, and Ahmad Bradshaw. Durant will sit out the 2015 season per NCAA transfer rules. He will be eligible at the start of the 2016 season and will have two years of eligibility.
Marshall Head Coach John “Doc” Holliday told Metro News the school is “fully aware of Davon’s situation at Arizona State” but expects Durant will take full advantage of this second chance to play football at the Division I level.
“We have done our due diligence in reviewing all available information, as we do with any student-athlete who enters our program,” Holliday said. “We are comfortable with the information we have gathered and all of the individuals with whom we have spoken are confident that Davon will embrace this opportunity to represent Marshall Athletics and this university with class.”
The Marshall Thundering Herd are coming off a dominant 2014 season. The team went 13-1, losing to only Western Kentucky in a 67-66 overtime shootout, en route to a Conference USA championship and a 52-23 win over Northern Illinois University in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Marshall kicks off the 2015 season with a home game against Purdue University September 9th.
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