Illinois dismisses 3 players after burglary charges
Illinois has dismissed three players after they were arrested May 11 and charged with burglary and aggravated robbery.
Darta Lee, Zarrian Holcombe, and Howard Watkins are no longer part of the program, head coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday, according to Dan Murphy of ESPN. Smith initially suspended the players indefinitely.
The trio allegedly entered a dorm room wearing masks and carrying a pellet gun and called the incident a prank, according to Mary Schenk of The News-Gazette. All three were still in jail Wednesday night, with their bond set at $150,000 each, according to The News-Gazette's Bob Asmussen.
Lee, an offensive lineman, played sparingly last season while Holcombe, a receiver, played mainly on special teams. Watkins was an incoming freshman.