UCLA Suspends Quarterback Pierce Clarkson After Arrest on Assault with Deadly Weapon Charge
The 21-year-old quarterback was arrested in Los Angeles and is suspended indefinitely pending the legal process and a university conduct review.
UCLA has suspended quarterback Pierce Clarkson indefinitely after his arrest in Los Angeles on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, the school said Monday.
The Los Angeles Police Department's Southwest Division arrested Clarkson, 21, on Friday. According to reporting by LA Times beat writer Ben Bolch, the charge is for assault with a deadly weapon — not a firearm — with great bodily injury. Clarkson was released on $30,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 3.
In a statement, UCLA said the suspension is in place "pending the outcome of the legal process." The school added that the situation will be evaluated by the UCLA Office of Student Conduct and that any further action will follow that evaluation and university policy.
Clarkson transferred to UCLA in May after a brief move to Ole Miss in January. He previously spent two seasons at Louisville, where he attempted six passes for 18 yards and rushed five times for nine yards. He has not played this season for the Bruins.
Nico Iamaleava has started UCLA's first two games this season, both losses, to Utah and UNLV. The team did not indicate whether the suspension would affect the quarterback room beyond removing Clarkson from team activities while the legal and conduct reviews proceed.
Clarkson is the son of quarterback trainer Steve Clarkson, who has worked with notable NFL quarterbacks. A four-star recruit out of St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, Clarkson was 21 at the time of the arrest.
The LAPD confirmed the arrest but released no further details on the incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will handle charging decisions and any subsequent prosecution. University athletic departments often impose temporary suspensions when players face serious criminal allegations while campus conduct offices and prosecutors conduct parallel reviews.
UCLA’s football program, competing in the Pac-12, has faced roster questions this season at the quarterback position amid the early losses. The school will not comment further on disciplinary matters while the investigation and legal proceedings are ongoing, the statement said. Court records show Clarkson’s first scheduled court appearance is Oct. 3.