BREAKING: Vanderbilt wideout Kayleb Barnett arrested, no longer with team

BREAKING: Vanderbilt wideout Kayleb Barnett arrested, no longer with team BREAKING: Vanderbilt wideout Kayleb Barnett arrested, no longer with team Barnett was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor in downtown Nashville following Vanderbilt’s 52-17 defeat to Ole Miss. Rachel Loomis Kayleb Barnett makes a hand sign while grouped up with his fellow players at the Vanderbilt Spring Game, as photographed April 18, 2026. (Hustler Multimedia/Rachel Loomis) By Eli Landers, Sports Editor Oct 12, 2026 Vanderbilt wide receiver Kayleb Barnett was arrested Saturday night in downtown Nashville and charged with aggravated assault — strangulation and identity theft, both felonies. He was also charged with a misdemeanor of false identification for using a false ID. Per Vanderbilt, he is no longer part of the Football program as a result of these actions. “We are aware of the situation,” a statement from the program reads. “Kayleb Barnett violated team and university standards and is no longer with the program.” Barnett posted a $5000 bail and will appear in court on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. for his settlement hearing. In his arrest report, the officer on scene described Barnett as holding someone in a chokehold, and, when authorities arrived on scene, the officer “observed the victim fall to the ground, motionless, appearing to be unconscious, with a substantial amount of blood surrounding his person that was emanating from the victim.” Law enforcement said they detained Barnett immediately and the alleged victim woke up shortly afterward. A witness said Barnett was in a fight in which he threw the first punch, but Barnett said the alleged victim punched him first. Barnett claimed he dodged that jab before holding him down, supposedly to prevent the alleged victim from continuing the attack. This report came hours after tensions were high during Vanderbilt’s loss to Ole Miss, where two Commodores received unnecessary roughness penalties for getting scrappy with their opponents. Barnett was a unique role player for Vanderbilt — as his 5’8, 155 pound frame makes him among the smallest players in college football. He was often used on jet-sweep and short pass sets where his breakaway speed made him a force to be reckoned with. The sophomore had 7 receptions for 36 yards so far this season, with 6 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown last year. He also returned a kick to the house in last year’s ReliaQuest Bowl. The loss of Barnett means that the Commodore offense has one less weapon for freshman quarterback Jared Curtis to throw to, and the number of effective skill players was limited to begin with. Vanderbilt will look to keep its head high as it takes on Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CDT at FirstBank Stadium. Tags: Kayleb Barnett Vanderbilt Football View Story Comments 1 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a comment About the Contributors Eli Landers, Sports Editor Elijah Landers (’28) is from Little Silver, New Jersey, and is majoring in economics and medicine, health & society in the College of Arts and Science. He previously served as Lead Sports Analyst. In addition to writing, Eli loves to read, exercise, explore Nashville and root for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He can be reached at [email protected]. Rachel Loomis, Staff Photographer Rachel Loomis (‘28) is from Syracuse, New York, and is majoring in Psychology on the Honors track and pursuing pre-med with hopes of attending medical school. When she’s not shooting for The Hustler, you can probably find her at a Pilates class, drinking coffee, or watching football/soccer! More to Discover More about Vanderbilt Football Football: Vanderbilt is defeated by No. 9 Ole Miss, 52-17 Three Matchups to Watch: Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss This Week in College Football Week 6: Conference giants clash