The Sam Ukwuachu story has been a mess from the get go and it seems like it is going to get worse before it gets better for Baylor as more details start to trickle out on how Ukwuachu landed in Waco.
It is being reported by Sports Illustrated that Florida and then head coach Will Muschamp decided against bringing in Ukwuachu when they were made aware of his violent history that got him dismissed from Boise State.
Florida considered taking Ukwuachu in May 2013, but then-Gators coach Will Muschamp decided against it after a Boise State athletic department employee detailed Ukwuachu’s troubles with a girlfriend, according to two former Florida athletic department employees.
That included the former freshman All-America defensive end’s alleged physical abuse of his girlfriend and an allegation that Ukwuachu put his fist through a window while drunk at the couple’s home, one of the ex-staffers said. (Ukwuachu was not charged in either incident.)
“There was no way,” one of the former Florida employees told The Inside Read of Ukwuachu. “[Muschamp] wouldn’t touch him.”
During Ukwuachu’s trial, his girlfriend at Boise State testified that he punched her in the head several times, choked her, physically restrained her from leaving and had a violent temper. Ukwuachu denied those allegations.
“Just a bad situation,” one of the former Florida staffers said. “It just wasn’t good.”
Ukwuachu also wasn’t completely forthcoming with Florida about his relationship with his former girlfriend, the former Gators athletic department employee said. But the Boise State athletic department employee was clear about Ukwuachu’s issues, according to the former Florida staffer.
Said the ex-Florida official: “There was absolutely no doubt.”
The plot has thickened. This is disturbing due to the fact that Baylor is claiming ignorance to Ukwuachu’s violent history and that they were not properly informed by Boise State.
If Florida knew what went down at Boise State, I have a hard time buying that Baylor either didn’t know or could not have found out by doing their due diligence.
With this coming out, it brings to question how many schools out there poked around about bringing in Ukwuachu, but backed off once they found out about his past. If Baylor and Florida were sniffing around, there is no doubt there were others.