Auburn Basketball Star Tahaad Pettiford, 19, Charged with DUI in Alabama

Tahaad Pettiford, a star college basketball player at Auburn University, has been charged with DUI.

According to reports from ESPN and Yahoo Sports, the 19-year-old athlete was arrested early in the morning on Saturday, July 12, in Lee County, Ala., where Auburn is located.

A source told ESPN that he was released about midday. According to jail records, he posted bond in the amount of $1,000.

“We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family,” Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl told PEOPLE in a statement. “We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.”

Pettiford, a recent contender for the Southeastern Conference’s Player of the Year, recently withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft.

The teen averaged 11.6 points per game in his freshman season for Auburn, and his team secured the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, the outlets reported. The Auburn Tigers reached the final four that season.

Though Pettiford eventually withdrew from the NBA Draft in hopes of solidifying himself as a first-round pick, experts and commentators projected that he would be selected late in the first round of this year’s draft, or in the second round.

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“I was happy to go through the process, getting feedback from NBA teams,” Pettiford told ESPN at the time of the draft in May. “Going back to Auburn is a better situation for me. I see myself being a higher pick next year. It wasn’t 100% this year, so I didn’t want to take that chance.”

“Being a short guard, it won’t be easy to play in the league, but I know I can do it. It’s maybe not the right time,” he added.

In March, Pettiford was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, and ESPN reported that he is on the short list of players who may enter the 2025-2026 season as a possible preseason All-American.