Tony Mitchell's status with Alabama remains unclear following March arrest
VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — Alabama is still waiting to see whether Tony Mitchell will be part of its future plans after suspending the freshman defensive back in March following his arrest on charges of marijuana possession with the intent to sell.
Mitchell, 19, of Alabaster, Alabama, was arrested along with Christophere Lewis of Valley Grande, Alabama, during a traffic stop in Holmes County, Florida on March 15. Mitchell evaded officers at first, driving 141 miles per hour before eventually being stopped and detained. According to a police report, more than $7,000 in cash and 226 grams of marijuana were found in Mitchell’s Dodge Challenger.
After previously suspending Mitchell from all team activities in March, Nick Saban stated there “is nothing new” regarding the freshman during an appearance Tuesday at Birmingham’s Old Overton Club during the Nick’s Kids Golf Tournament. In March, Saban said that the team is still awaiting details from Mitchell’s arrest before moving forward with definitive action.
"Everybody's got an opportunity to make choices and decisions," Saban said. "There's no such thing as the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got to be responsible for who you're with, who you're around, what you do and who you associate yourself with and the situation you put yourself in.
"There's no such thing in being at the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got to be responsible for who you're with, who you're around, what you do, who you associated yourself with and the situation that you put yourself in."
According to a report from AL.com earlier this month, Mitchell’s attorney, Waylon Graham, said that his client might be eligible for a withhold of adjudication, which would allow prosecutors to charge Mitchell with a felony without convicting him of the crime. Because Mitchell is a first-time offender in the state of Florida, a judge could sentence him to probation in that scenario.
Mitchell has a plea hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Holmes County. According to AL.com, his attorney said he will plea "no contest" on a felony marijuana possession charge and is set to receive probation and drug counseling.
Mitchell, a former four-star safety, was the No. 162 overall player in the 2023 class and the No. 10 player at his position. Last season, he helped Thompson High School to its fourth consecutive state title, tallying 56 total tackles and eight tackles for loss for a defense that allowed 12 points per game.