Former Baylor DE Sam Ukwuachu Sentenced for 2013 Sexual Assault of Soccer Player

A judge in McLennan County, Texas, sentenced former Baylor and Boise State defensive end Sam Ukwuachu to 180 days in county jail Friday after the 22-year-old was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault from an October 2013 incident. Ukwuachu will also remain on felony probation for a period of 10 years, per ESPN.com's Max Olson.

According to Tommy Witherspoon of the Waco Tribune, the jury recommended an eight-year probated sentence for Ukwuachu.

Little was known about why Ukwuachu had yet to appear for the Bears after transferring from Boise State. He was eligible to play during the 2014 season but failed to see the field.

In July, Bears defensive coordinator Phil Bennett told reporters Ukwuachu could soon be joining the team.

"Ukwuachu is a guy we’re expecting to be back," Bennett said, per Shehan Jeyarajah of the Dallas Morning News. "We expect him to be eligible in July. That gives us probably five or six guys we can play at end."

Then came a report on Thursday by Jessica Luther and Dan Solomon for Texas Monthly. Luther and Solomon detailed the sexual assault allegations leveled against Ukwuachu by a former member of the Baylor women's soccer team, stemming from an Oct. 19, 2013, incident. Ukwuachu was subsequently indicted June 25, 2014.

The Texas Monthly report raised questions about the investigation carried out by Baylor and whether the school was aware of the circumstances leading to Ukwuachu's departure from Boise State, which reportedly included an act of punching "through a window while drunk."

Baylor head coach Art Briles denied he had knowledge of Ukwuachu's past indiscretions.

"No mention of anything beyond Sam being depressed and needing to come home," Briles said, per Olson. "So that was our information. And that's what you go by."

Olson and ESPN.com colleague Mark Schlabach then provided a statement from Washington head coach Chris Petersen, who coached the Broncos at the time of Ukwuachu's transfer, which seemingly contradicted Briles' story: "After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles. In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam's disciplinary record and dismissal."