Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington announced in January that he would return for his senior season, rather than enter the 2017 NFL draft. He may now be regretting that decision.
Carrington, viewed as a mid-round pick if he had turned pro, has been kicked off the Ducks team after he was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants.
“I have visited with Darren Carrington and informed him that he is no longer a member of our program,” Oregon coach Willie Taggart said in a statement. “We will always consider Darren a Duck and support him in any way we can. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The DUII charge was the the latest in a long line of off-field incidents for Carrington. He has previously been suspended for failing a drug test, cited for having an open container of alcohol, and accused of pushing a man to the ground and breaking his arm in a confrontation on the street that apparently took place because Carrington mistook the man for someone else he had previously had an issue with.
The NFL supplemental draft has already come and gone, so it’s too late for Carrington to play in the NFL this season. He could transfer to a lower level of college football and play immediately, or he could sit out this season and hope some team drafts him next year. Given his off-field incidents, and the fact that he had a better season in 2015 than he had in 2016, Carrington may have a hard time convincing an NFL team to take a chance on him.
Carrington caught 112 passes for 1,919 yards and 15 touchdowns in his Oregon career.