Oregon Ducks' Daylen Austin Hit-And-Run Trial Postponed, New Date Set

Oregon Ducks defensive back Daylen Austin will have to wait a little bit longer before facing trial.

Austin was scheduled to face a 12-man trial on Feb. 19 but will instead have his hearing moved back six months to Aug. 14, per James Crepea of The Oregonian. Austin was the driver in a fatal hit-and-run accident in April that killed 46-year-old Frank William Seaman of Eugene.

The reason for the postponement was due to a new discovery of evidence. According to Crepea, court documents read that “the alleged victim’s medical history included delirium, alcohol abuse, methamphetamine abuse, and schizophrenia,” which will require a new line of research for the defense.

Oregon defensive back Daylen Austin leaps into the stands as the Oregon Ducks host the Boise State Broncos Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oregon coach Dan Lanning briefly talked about the situation back in April.

“I know Daylen’s character and I think there are a lot of details that will continue to play out. Beyond that, I’m not going to speak on it any more than that,” Lanning said in April about the incident.

The Eugene Police Department even released a statement after the accident, writing on Facebook: “This is a complex investigation and EPD is still gathering information to be submitted to the Lane County District Attorney’s Office for a final charging decision."

Austin played three games and 33 snaps with the Ducks last season while utilizing a redshirt in 2023. This past season, he played in 14 games despite the ongoing legal uncertainty and posted 10 total tackles.

A product of Long Beach Poly High School in Southern California, Austin was a four-star cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class. Per 247Sports' rankings, he was the No. 11 overall cornerback in the class. As a result, he received offers from programs like Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, UCLA, TCU, Michigan State, San Jose State, Cal, Florida State, Arizona State and many more.

Oregon defensive back Daylen Austin during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Austin originally committed to the LSU Tigers in May 2022 before flipping to Oregon later in the recruiting cycle. He had taken official visits to Louisville, Oregon and Penn State.

Austin's older brother is former Oregon State defensive back Alex Austin, who played in nine games for the New England Patriots in 2024.

The Ducks will now have to wait until later this summer to hear the result of Austin's case. His new trial date will come 16 days before Oregon kicks off the 2025 regular season at home against Montana State on Saturday, Aug. 30.

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