Caleb Brantley Pleads Not Guilty to Battery Charges from Altercation with Woman

Former Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Brantley pleaded not guilty Monday after he was charged with battery for allegedly punching a woman and knocking her unconscious earlier in April, according to the Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu. 

Brantley was formally charged with battery after a complaint was filed alleging that he "made crude comments toward her during an argument at a bar on April 13, and [the victim] then pushed him," according to ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach. "The complaint said Brantley responded by 'striking [her] in the face knocking her unconscious.'"

Brantley's representatives have offered a different account of the altercation. 

According to Andreu, lawyers for Brantley have stated he was at the bar to pick up a friend and was confronted by a group of women. However, when Brantley tried to leave, they allege "one of them stepped forward and punch him in the mouth with no warning." 

"Mr. Brantley, in reaction to that sudden occurrence, put out his right arm in an attempt to push away his attacker. His hand made contact with her face due to his reflex reaction," attorney Amy Osteryoung said, per Andreu. 

Brantley, 22, has widely been considered a candidate to come off the board in Round 1 or 2 of this week's NFL draft. According to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, that status could change because of the timing of the incident. 

As Miller noted, "there's not enough time for the court process to find him guilty or not guilty. That leaves teams scrambling for information. There undoubtedly will be some who take Brantley off the board."

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.