One of Michigan”s top running back recruits, Kelly Baraka, will keep his scholarship but won”t play in the 2001 football season.
Head coach Lloyd Carr announced at the team”s media day Friday that Baraka will not dress for games for disciplinary reasons. Carr also said the Portage native will practice with the team sometime in the season.
If Baraka does not play this year, he could potentially be redshirted and not lose a year of eligibility.
When Baraka was ticketed for marijuana possession last week in Portage, police were searching for a robbery suspect. Portage Police Department Lt. Don Anderson said Baraka”s arrest for possession was a “totally unrelated matter.”
Baraka posted a $100 bond after his arrest on July 31 and a pretrial hearing was set for August 28. He was previously arrested on May 13 on a marijuana possession charge.
William Fette, a former Michigan football player, is representing Baraka in court.
Baraka led Portage Northern High School to the state playoffs and was selected as a member of the USA Today High School All-American first team, scoring 26 touchdowns as a senior.
In high school, Baraka was suspended from the track team his senior year because of his first arrest for marijuana possession.