Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
Marshall coach Mark Snyder has decided to release top recruit A.J. Graham after his arrest Tuesday for robbery with a firearm.
"Due to the situation, I have decided to release A.J. from his scholarship," Snyder said in a statement.
Graham, 18, was arrested just a couple of hours before his graduation began on Tuesday. He was held without bail and had a court hearing Wednesday. Armed robbery carries a punishment of possible life in prison. No one was hurt during the incident.
The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the robbery occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday. Three men told police they were walking to a party when two men walked up to them with a handgun. The two suspects then drove off in a car that was later found abandoned.
Graham, a dual-threat quarterback, was Florida's 2008 Mr. Football and chose Marshall over Clemson, Illinois and Kansas State. He threw for 3,870 yards and 38 touchdowns and rushed for 564 yards and 10 touchdowns at Godby High School, and led his team to the Class 3-A state championship game.
This is the fifth arrest involving a Marshall football player since March.
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
