Auburn football: Suspended athlete enters transfer portal
Redshirt freshman Jashawn Sheffield’s Auburn career hasn’t gone as planned and he will now seek a new school.
Shortly after news broke that former three-star receiver Marquis McClain had decided to transfer to Southern University, the Tigers’ depth at wideout took another hit.
According to The Athletic’s Max Olson, redshirt freshman receiver Jashawn Sheffield has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
As a four-star prospect and Under Armour All-American, Sheffield came to The Plains with high expectations after choosing the Tigers over programs like Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 183-pound athlete appeared in just one game (Samford) where he carried the ball twice for a total of 30 yards.
However, this offseason, Sheffield’s collegiate career took a turn for the worse when he was arrested twice in the span of 11 days. Sheffield was first arrested on May 9 in Bulloch County, Georgia on a disorderly conduct charge.
After spending two days in Jail, the talented athlete was arrested once again on May 16 on a DUI-less-safe charge which is when the arresting officer suspects alcohol was impairing the driver even if their blood alcohol content was below the legal level.
The Tigers signed four receivers in their 2020 recruiting class including four-star prospects Kobe Hudson, Ze’Vian Capers and J.J. Evans as well as three-star wideout Elijah Canion.
The new influx of talent would’ve likely made it more difficult for Sheffield to make a significant impact in his second season with the Tigers which is why in April, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced that Sheffield, along with fellow receiver Matthew Hill would receive some reps at defensive back.
Sheffield is now the seventh Auburn player to enter his name in the transfer portal in the past year including quarterback Joey Gatewood, running back JaTarvious Whitlow, receiver Marquis McClain, defensive end Charles Moore and linebackers Michael Harris and Sawyer Hennis.
However, entering his name in the transfer portal does not necessarily mean that Sheffield will be transferring as it just allows other teams to contact him. Nothing is official until Sheffield chooses a new destination and he could possibly return to Auburn if he wanted to.