Georgia’s Colbie Young cleared to practice, hoping charges dropped

Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young, who hasn’t played for the Bulldogs since his arrest Oct. 8 on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault on an unborn child, returned to practice Monday after being cleared to do so by the university’s Equal Opportunity Office.

Sources told ESPN on Tuesday that Young, who had been suspended from the team since his arrest, will not be allowed to play in games until his legal matter is resolved. He has an arraignment scheduled for state court in Athens, Georgia, on Dec. 10.

“The Title IX office at UGA cleared Colbie so he was allowed to return to the team activities, including practice,” Young’s attorney, Kim Stephens, told ESPN. “We expect and hope that the prosecutors will follow the Title IX office’s lead and dismiss the charges against Mr. Young in the very near future.”

Young was working off to the side during Monday’s practice.

The woman involved in an altercation that led to Young’s arrest and suspension retracted her statement to police and requested that all criminal charges against him be dropped, according to an affidavit provided to ESPN by Stephens.

According to an Athens-Clarke County Police incident report obtained by ESPN, a 20-year-old woman, who described herself as Young’s ex-girlfriend, told police that she went to his apartment to discuss their relationship.

When the conversation became heated after she discovered he was on the phone with another woman, the complainant said Young “grabbed her left arm near her biceps and triceps and physically pulled her out of his room.” The woman said Young was “using derogatory terms and being demeaning of her.” She said Young went back to his room and locked the door.

The woman told police she started to collect her belongings when a friend called her phone. When she answered, the woman told police, “Mr. Young came out and grabbed her from behind. She said that he picked her up and began to squeeze her torso and abdomen very hard. She said she felt like [Young] was trying to harm her.”

The police officer noted in the report that he observed a bruise and discoloration on the bottom of the woman’s chest where it meets the abdomen, and redness on her right side. The police officer transported the woman to an Athens hospital for treatment.

In the affidavit, the woman said the police report was “slanted and does not accurately portray what occurred on Oct. 8.”

“I did go to Colbie’s apartment late at night to talk to him about our relationship and my pregnancy,” the woman said. “Colbie asked me to leave more than once while I was there. I did not leave until I became upset with him and did not think our conversation was productive.

“Colbie did not place his hands on me in any way during the conversation and argument that was inappropriate or unwanted. He did not hit me. He did not push me. He did not cause any bruising or marks on me. He did not injure me in any way.”

Young, who transferred to Georgia from Miami, has 11 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns this season.

The No. 10 Bulldogs close the regular season against rival Georgia Tech at home Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+). They’ll play the winner of Saturday’s game between No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7.

With a victory in the SEC title game, Georgia would secure a berth in the CFP for the third time in four seasons. The Bulldogs would probably be considered for a CFP at-large berth if they lose to the Texas/Texas A&M winner.