Suspended WR Daniels 'done' at Notre Dame; Williams gone for season
Suspended Notre Dame wide receiver DeVaris Daniels tweeted on Tuesday that his "time at Notre Dame is done."
Daniels also said that he hadn't intended on transferring before and that Notre Dame "is where my heart was." His father, former NFL defensive end Phillip Daniels, earlier also tweeted that Daniels is "done" and that he will pursue other options.
Head coach Brian Kelly said at a press conference Tuesday that fellow suspended player Ishaq Williams won't be able to play this season but that he intends on returning next season. Cornerback KeiVarae Russellannounced on Instagram last week that he is also suspended for at least this season but intends on returning in 2015. Linebacker Kendall Moore announced on Instagram he would be leaving the school as well.
The exact punishment given to the players isn't known. It isn't clear if Daniels's separation from the team and school would've been permanent or if he decided to leave after receiving a punishment similar to Williams and Russell.
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The status of the other two suspended players remains unknown.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said last week that he had been told a decision on the five players was "imminent." Notre Dame had announced on Sept. 28 that its investigation had been completed and the results would be relayed to the individual players over the coming days. The school said the results were confidential but could be relayed by the players themselves if they chose to do so.
The day after Kelly's statement, it was reported that all five players were unlikely to play this season.
Daniels, Williams and Russell, along with linebacker Kendall Moore and safety Eilar Hardy, were investigated by the university over allegations of academic misconduct, specifically whether they submitted papers that were written by others.
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Notre Dame announced the investigation, which was first referred to the compliance office July 29, on Aug. 15. (Hardy was added to the investigation later.) The players have been held out of practices and games since the investigation began.
It was reported that Daniels insisted to investigators that he wrote all of his own papers.
Daniels, who was suspended for the most recent spring semester for failing to maintain his grade point average, was Notre Dame's leading returning receiver this season. He had 49 receptions for 745 yards and seven touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore in 2013.
Williams, a senior, had 17 tackles and one sack last season. Russell started all 13 of the team's games last season as a sophomore.
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Ranked No. 5 in the AP poll, Notre Dame (6-0) plays at No. 2 Florida State (6-0) this Saturday.
- Ben Estes
