Jalen Carter returns to NFL Combine hours after arrest stemming from link in fatal crash

University of Georgia standout Jalen Carter returned to the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday – but did not take part in any on-field activities – just mere hours after being arrested on reckless driving charges.

An arrest warrant was issued for Carter, possibly the No. 1 overall pick at the NFL Draft, stemming from the Jan. 15 car crash that killed one of his teammates and a recruiting staff member. 

Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy, who worked in the recruiting department, perished in the crash.

Carter was initially in Indianapolis to participate in the combine, but rushed back to Atlanta after the warrant was issued. He was booked at 11:33 p.m. ET in the Athens-Clarke County Jail and released 16 minutes later.

The 21-year-old is accused of racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy, 24, which led to the wreck. The crash occurred just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight championship with a parade ceremony. 

LeCroy was traveling at 104 mph with a BAC of .197, more than double the legal limit in the state of Georgia. 

Carter expects to clear his name.

“This morning I received a telephone call from the Athens, Georgia, police department informing me that two misdemeanor warrants have been issued against me for reckless driving and racing,” Carter said in a statement on Wednesday. “Numerous media reports also have circulated this morning containing inaccurate information concerning the tragic events of January 15, 2023. It is my intention to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”

Carter is listed as the top overall prospect in this year’s draft – the Chicago Bears own the top pick, but are reportedly open to shopping it.

Carter was a five-star recruit out of Apopka High School in Florida. He was a unanimous All-American and All-SEC First-Teamer this season. In 2021, he made the All-SEC Second Team.

If Carter is the first pick, it will be the second year in a row in which a Georgia Bulldog was taken to begin the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars took defensive end Travon Walker first overall last year.