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Kalvaraz Bessent, a four-star cornerback who signed with Auburn on Wednesday, was arrested on felony drug charges Friday evening, per USA Today. Rumors of Bessent's arrest began swirling Saturday afternoon.
Kalvaraz Bessent, a cornerback from St. Mary's, Ga., was one of four men arrested by a Nassau County (Fla.) Sheriff's Deputy and charged with three drug-related felonies, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.
Leeper said an officer stopped a 2007 Dodge Charger for speeding, clocked at 58 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour speed zone, on U.S. 1 in western Nassau County shortly at about 10 p.m. Friday evening. Nassau County, Fla. is just south of Camden County, Ga., where Bessent is from.
"Upon approaching the vehicle and talking to the driver (Elbert Thornton, of Jacksonville), deputy smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle," Leeper said.
The officer found 202.5 grams of marijuana -- a little more than 7 ounces -- and a handgun in the car. The four men were all charged with possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. While no gun-related charges have been levied, they could be coming after police gather information about the weapon. Bessent was released on $5,506 bond.
It's hard to see the 19-year-old getting a shot at a second chance with the Tigers. Gus Malzahn has proven to be a fairly no-nonsense disciplinarian, and Bessent is facing serious allegations, especially since a gun is involved. And really, barring a grossly inaccurate police report, it's hard to combat the argument that Bessent forfeited his opportunity to play at Auburn due to his incredibly poor judgement. Riding around with with a significant amount of drugs and a gun, smoking weed, and asking to get caught by speeding is ridiculous.
Hopefully, this isn't as bad as it sounds, but we're not holding out breath.
