This week a grand jury elected not to indict Zaon Collins for DUI after an accident he was involved in killed a man.
The jury did indict him for reckless driving, however the prosecutor threw that single indictment out. But just because Collins was not indicted does not mean UNLV should offer him a scholarship again.
First off, Collins is not in the clear. A preliminary hearing will begin next week and his case could easily end up at trial. The lack of indictment is not the end of his case.
Even if Collins is ultimately proven innocent, he has already shown he is the exact type of player T.J. Otzelberger is not interested in bringing to the UNLV program.
Otzelberger spent all season discussing the lack of leadership, experience and maturity in his team. After the quarterfinal loss to Utah State, Otzelberger said about the offseason:
“As we look at the potential to add recruits, it’s being intentional about recruiting maturity.”
Thanks to reporting by Sam Gordon of the Review Journal, we know that Collins was running late to basketball practice (a common occurrence) when he was involved in the accident.
The police report stated Collins was driving in excess of 80 miles per hour (in a 35 MPH zone). Plus, he had more than the legal limit of THC in his system while police found a green leafy substance in his car.
Speeding while being late to practice doesn’t exactly scream maturity. Neither does driving while having more THC in his system than the legal driving limit.
Collins may be proven innocent by the court system. But unless the facts around the accident change, Otzelberger can’t even consider bringing Collins to campus.