ASU football player Ismael Murphy-Richardson arrested, dismissed from team
Jan 6, 2016, 11:45 AM | Updated: 2:15 pm
Ismael Murphy-Richardson (Arizona State University Police Department Photo)
(Arizona State University Police Department Photo)
PHOENIX — An Arizona State University football player was arrested and released from the team this week, the school confirmed.
Confirmed ASU coach Todd Graham has dismissed redshirt-freshman Ismael Murphy-Richardson. Had good chance to start at Devilbacker next yr.
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) January 6, 2016
Ismael Murphy-Richardson, a redshirt freshman, was charged in connection with an ongoing credit card-fraud case.
Two other players, Jayme Otomewo and Deonte Reynolds, were arrested in the case in December. Both were charged with second-degree burglary.
Court documents allege the trio bought two televisions and some video game accessories using a stolen credit card. They also allegedly tried to buy shoes, but the card declined.
The three former ASU football players also allegedly sold a stolen Playstation 4 and are linked to 11 robberies inside Vista del Sol, a student housing complex near the school’s Tempe campus.
Murphy-Richardson attended Desert Edge High School in Goodyear. His page on the Sun Devil football website, which was still active as of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, said he was ranked the No. 21 linebacker recruit in the country.
In his first season at ASU, Murphy-Richardson saw action in six games. He made five tackles, 2.5 sacks and blocked an extra point attempt in the Sun Devils’ loss to West Virginia in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl.
Otomewo is a redshirt sophomore safety from Los Angeles. He did not see action in any of the Sun Devils’ 12 games this season.
Reynolds, a junior defensive tackle from Pinole, Calif., was part of ASU’s 2015 recruiting class. He played one season at Contra Costa College and was considered the ninth-best junior college defensive tackle in the class by 247Sports.com.
Reynolds was redshirting this season.
