Ole Miss’ Rod Taylor arrested after failing to pay for charcoal

If you’ve ever forgotten to pay for an item at the checkout line (winkwink nudgenudge), you can certainly sympathize with the latest player to hit the reset button on the “Days Without An Arrest” ticker.

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger is reporting Tuesday that Ole Miss offensive lineman Rod Taylor was arrested Sunday afternoon on suspicion of shoplifting. The particulars of what led to the charge, at least as relayed to the Clarion-Ledger by a source, somewhat softens the incident and paints it as a case of “oops, I forgot” about an item. Or two of one item.

Taylor placed but allegedly failed to pay for two bags of charcoal in a basket underneath his shopping cart while going through a self-checkout line, a source said. The source added his understanding of the case was that Taylor did so by accident and would have to go to court and pay the amount, approximately $40, before the charges would be thrown out.

The football program is aware of the incident, with head coach Hugh Freeze saying in a statement that "[w]e are gathering facts on the matter, and if appropriate, we will address it accordingly with Rod internally.”

After playing in 10 games last season, Taylor is viewed as a potential starter along the Rebels’ offensive line. He could even be the replacement for starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, projected by many to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.