Not surprisingly, one of the linchpins of Arizona State’s 2015 recruiting class won’t ever play a down for the Sun Devils.
In a conversation with SI.com‘s Thayer Evans, Todd Graham confirmed that his football program has “parted ways” with Davon Durant. The JUCO signee was involved in a March domestic violence incident in which he was initially charged with one count of felony aggravated assault and three counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Three months later, he reached a plea agreement in which he was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.
Despite the plea deal that reduced the charges down to a single misdemeanor, Graham stated that Durant, who was both indefinitely suspended by Graham and ultimately expelled from the university, had dug his own hole and there was no turning back for any of the parties involved.
“It’s a bad deal, but you’ve got to have accountability,” Graham told SI.com. “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.”
It was alleged at the time of the incident that the female victim was hit by Durant “in the face once and grabbed her around the neck,” leading to “visible injuries, including a bruise below her left eye and bruising around her neck that was consistent with finger marks.” The victim, Durant’s still-girlfriend Kelsi Langley, had previously recanted her initial claims even as there were multiple eyewitnesses who corroborated her original story.
It does appear, though, there was a path, eventually, for Durant to be readmitted to the university. From the Arizona Republic:
In a subsequent report from the Republic, Durant’s attorney stated that his client is still enrolled in classes at ASU -- he has requested a “re-hearing,” which allows him to take classes -- and would like to continue his playing career with the Sun Devils. Per the newspaper, however, the “re-hearing” will likely have no impact on his future with the football team.
As such, Durant’s already begun the process of finding a new football home. Where he may be looking has not been divulged.
Transferring in from the JUCO ranks, Durant had been expected to be a significant contributor to the Sun Devils’ defense in 2015.
Coming out of Butler County Community College, Durant was a four-star member of ASU’s 2015 recruiting class. Durant, a South Carolina native, had actually been a verbal commitment to South Carolina during part of his time at the Kansas JUCO, but flipped his commitment to ASU in October.
(Photo credit: Rivals.com)