Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen is already facing a tough decision regarding his (soon-to-be) new defensive end.

Mississippi State thought it hit gold when five-star DE Jeffery Simmons announced he would be heading to Starkville instead of Oxford this fall.

Ole Miss, on the other hand, was not nearly as excited.

However, it appears the other shoe has finally dropped.

A video surfaced of Simmons and an unidentified female hitting and kicking another female, who is lying on the ground for most of the altercation.

Simmons was officially charged last week, and he has released an apology on Facebook, where he claimed he was defending the honor of his deceased nephews.

Domestic violence and violence against women is an increasingly prevalent issue in football. The last two years especially have seemed to revolve around the growing controversy.

We saw photos of Dallas DE Greg Hardy’s girlfriend standing bruised and battered, accusing Hardy of beating her. And we saw Baltimore RB Ray Rice knock out his then-fiance in an elevator before dragging her out of the elevator. We also saw Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson charged with child abuse. We don’t need to even get into former Texas A&M and Cleveland QB Johnny Manziel. At the college level, former FSU QB Jameis Winston was accused of rape.

Without naming names, there have been several instances even in the SEC that involved violence toward women that resulted in second chances or no punishment.

What is wrong with the level of discipline in college football? Where is the humanity? Are the players bringing in the money exempt from common decency?

Last year, the SEC took a huge step toward curbing the violent behavior that has become predominant in the sport. The conference introduced a rule that prevents players with a record of sexual assault or domestic abuse from transferring to an SEC school.

But what about the players who are already in the SEC?

How Mullen handles this situation likely will set a precedent — good or bad — for the rest of the SEC. Everyone is waiting and watching for his action. And surprisingly, opinions are split.

Perhaps the biggest question in Mullen’s mind is whether or not this is an isolated incident. We always hear that everyone deserves a second chance. People do make mistakes. But how do we tell from a single incident whether it is a serial behavior?

If Mullen and the Bulldogs let this incident slide, one of two things will happen.

First option: It happens again, and not only does Mullen, Mississippi State and the SEC get blamed for not showing Simmons there are serious consequences for his actions, but another woman suffers abuse that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

Second option: It turns out to be a one-time incident, Simmons never hits a woman again, and Mullen, Mississippi State and the SEC are applauded for giving a young kid a second chance after making a huge mistake.

But is it worth the risk? Absolutely not. It has to end now.