Arkansas Football: John L. Smith Sets Tone in Wake of Burglary Arrests

The offseason of tumult in Fayetteville continued on Saturday, when three Arkansas football players—wide receivers Marquel Wade and Maudrecus Humphrey and tight end Andrew Peterson—were arrested and charged with residential burglary, according to ArkansasSports360.com. The trio allegedly stole laptops, DVDs, cash and textbooks totaling more than $4,800.

According to the arrest report (h/t Chris Bahn for the upload), the trio was seen on video surveillance taking items from rooms over a seven-day period. Peterson and Humphrey were each charged with nine counts, and Wade was charged with one count. Residential burglary is considered a Class B felony in Arkansas.

This comes on the heels of three previous offseason arrests. Those arrests took place before John L. Smith was named head coach of the Razorbacks, and Smith wasted no time putting his foot down—suspending the three players indefinitely.

Smith's statement, via ArkansasSports360.com:

"

Marquel Wade, Maudrecus Humphrey and Andrew Peterson have been suspended indefinitely. We have high standards for our student-athletes and I expect them to conduct themselves appropriately. Poor conduct and misbehavior will not be tolerated and is not what we expect from the University of Arkansas football program.

"

That's a good start. Even though he's only on a 10-month contract, it's Smith's job to set the tone for the program and establish boundaries for his players. In this case, dismissal should be on the table.

Make no mistake, this is a big deal—especially considering it involves wide receiver Marquel Wade.

Wade wowed everybody who saw him this spring, and the rising sophomore is expected to play a big role for a Razorback team that is replacing three starting wide receivers from last year's squad. 

Arkansas gets two cupcakes—Jacksonville State and Louisiana-Monroe—to start the season, before hosting Alabama in one of the biggest games in recent Arkansas history. Wade's status with the team is now in doubt, and it could definitely use him against the Crimson Tide.

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