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2015 Bronco running back signee Raymond Sheard will no longer be joining the team this Fall after having his scholarship summarily stripped after being arrested (at his school, no less) for carrying a firearm (unloaded, but still...), sundry drugs and mary jane in his backpack. Sheard was arrested at Arlington High School's front office yesterday after exhibiting "suspicious behavior". A cursory search of his bag showed it to contain several no-tolerance items listed above. When Boise State was approached to confirm that the offender was indeed the 2015 RB, they confirmed that it was and added that he will no longer be attending Boise State. Ouch.
Remember, Sheard was the signee that also signed a LOI with a JC as a contingency plan in case he failed to qualify academically for university admission. This raised a few flags among Bronco faithful (and downright amazed Coach Harsin). Turns out, there were a few more flags to be raised with Sheard and all in all, it might be a good thing that he won't be joining the squad. From a competitive standpoint, however, this news puts BSU in an interesting position, having now lost their second scholarship RB in a week's time (Charles Bertoli walked away last week). The Broncos have reasonable depth at running back as it stands—McNichols, Fields, Demas, and Young...with a smattering of walk-on Ryan Wolpin, but since they're down two RB roster fillers in such a short amount of time, may take a run at a JC back OR a late-qualifiying HS back. For what it's worth, here's a list of the top 2015 JC running backs from 247; you'll note that two of the top ten are currently unattached. It's a small matter for the Broncos now...but a big one for Mr. Sheard. Actions have consequences, kids...it's a shame this mistake may have cost someone his shot at a free education.
Here's the report from the Dallas FOX affiliate: