Iowa's Adrian Clayborn To Plead Guilty in Assault Case

Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn looks to enter a guilty plea in his assault case at a hearing next month, according to reports out of Iowa City .

Clayborn started all 13 games at defensive end for the Hawkeyes, including the Orange Bowl, where he was named Orange Bowl MVP.

He was arrested in March 2009 and charged with assault causing bodily injury for allegedly punching a cab driver in the face (emphasis on allegedly ). The charge, a serious misdemeanor, is punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,875 fine.

It is likely that the Iowa senior will plead guilty to a lesser charge, but his attorney Matthew Petrzelka has yet to release a formal statement.

According to the criminal complaint on file, Clayborn was in traffic during the early morning hours of Jan. 18, 2009, when a cab driver honked at him. Police claim Clayborn then got out of his car and Kimbo Slice'd the cabbie through the window.

The details of the story are in question, and at the time of the incident were enough for Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz not to punish Clayborn.

Ferentz has typically been quick in handing out punishment for player infractions, which definitely suggests there is more to this story than most know.

"Sometimes there are two sides to stories," Ferentz said last March . "Based on what I know right now, I can tell you pretty clearly I'm not sure what happened. I can tell you as far as Adrian goes, Adrian's been an exemplary student and citizen since he's been here."

Unlike other player incidents at Iowa, this was not alcohol-related. Due to the nature of the case, it seems unlikely that Clayborn will miss any playing time because of it.

Ferentz could change his mind come March, as more details become available.

The Clayborn Ultimatum hits Kinnick Stadium this fall.