ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he has done a poor job with his football team where discipline is concerned following the arrest of two players on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs have had six players arrested in the last six weeks.
“I’m obviously extremely disappointed, I’ve obviously done a poor job with this group of connecting and making sure they listen and understand things,” Smart said.
“We have polices and rules in place, these guys violated those policies and rules and they will serve the punishment that they deserve for it, and I hate the decision they made,” Smart said. “They have to learn as young men that you can’t break the rules, you can’t break the law.
“Obviously our guys have not done a good job of that, and that all falls on me, and we’re going to do a great job of moving forward to get these guys in the right place to make the right decisions.”
The six different players arrested this offseason have been charged in four different incidents dating back to Feb. 28.
The charges have ranged from simple battery, to disorderly conduct, and most recently misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Outside linebackers Brenton Cox and Robert Beal Jr. were arrested by the UGA Police Department at 3:13 p.m. on Tuesday with less than one ounce of marijuana.
Smart said he learned of the arrests just before the start of practice.
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The Athens-Clarke County jail booking recap report indicated both players posted bond on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after Georgia had started its seventh practice session of the spring.
“I will say this, we’ve got 90 percent of our team that we have the least number of misses, the least number of tardies, that are doing things right,” Smart said, “and I’m very disappointed in the 10 percent that have not.”
Smart issued a statement last Tuesday as it related to a March 24 incident that led to the arrests of senior receiver Tyler Simmons and freshman cornerback Tyrique Stevenson on disorderly conduct charges.
“Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed,” Smart said on Tuesday, after the Bulldogs’ fourth spring practice. “There’s a standard of behavior that’s expected of student athletes at the University of Georgia.”
The issues, Smart said, “would be handled the right way.”
The other two arrests involved redshirt sophomore linebacker Jaden Hunter and redshirt sophomore defensive back Latavious Brini.
Hunter was arrested March 20 for illegally stopping, standing or parking a vehicle and driving with a suspended/revoked license.
Brini was arrested on Feb. 28 was for simple battery. He allegedly slapped a South Carolina man outside of the Silver Dollar Bar in downtown Athens.
The Bulldogs will hold their annual G-Day spring scrimmage at 2 p.m. on April 20 in Sanford Stadium.
Georgia football players arrested
• Sophomore LB Brenton Cox, Stockbridge, Ga., 4-2-19
• Redshirt sophomore LB Robert Beal, Norcross, Ga., 4-2-19
• Freshman DB Tyrique Stevenson, Homestead, Fla., 3-24-19
• Senior WR Tyler Simmons, Powder Springs, Ga., 3-24-19
• Redshirt sophomore LB Jaden Hunter, Atlanta, 3-20-19
• Redshirt sophomore DB Latavious Brini, Miami Gardens, Fla., 2-28-19