Nolan Smith was arrested recently outside of Athens, Georgia following a traffic incident just 2 days after Smith announced he would return to Georgia in 2022.

Smith was pulled over for speeding in Barrow County, which is west of Athens, because of his driver’s license status and he was charged with driving on a suspended license and speeding in a construction zone — both misdemeanors — on Jan. 19, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. He was booked into the Barrow County Detention Center but released less than a half hour later, according to online records.

The report said the incident happened at 9:25 p.m., and radar clocked Smith at 89 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour construction zone in Winder. He was driving east on University Parkway approaching Jackson Trail Road by police, according to a Barrow County Sherriff’s Office summary of the incident.

Smith will be part of a defense that will have key returnees who made plays down the stretch in cornerback Kelee Ringo and safety Christopher Smith.

Smith is the leading returning tackler (56) after he led the Bulldogs with 2 tackles-for-loss in the national championship. Smith also had 3 QB hurries and a sack, as Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was sacked 4 times and intercepted twice.

Smith played in 14 of 15 games, and finished with 9 tackles for lost yardage, which was second on team, 3.5 of those coming on QB sacks, along with 27 QB pressures. He led the Bulldogs in tackles (8) in the Orange Bowl win over Michigan, and also had a career-high 7 QB pressures vs. the Wolverines.