An Arkansas football player has been dismissed from the program after it learned of allegations against him, according to a statement by Arkansas athletics.
No name was mentioned, but the statement was given in response to a direct request by Best of Arkansas Sports for comment about the status of redshirt junior Kade Renfro.
“Upon gaining knowledge of the allegations against a student-athlete earlier this week, we immediately informed the University’s Title IX office of the allegations,” the statement read. “The student-athlete is no longer a member of the football team.”
The University of Arkansas released a statement, as well, but also didn’t mention him by name, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
“After being made aware of the allegations, we notified the relevant offices on our campus,” the UA statement read. “Due to FERPA student privacy regulations, we are unable to provide more information at this time.”
These comments come about a day after an anonymous Instagram account went viral with serious accusations involving sexual assault against Renfro.
In follow-up inquiries by Best of Arkansas Sports made midday Thursday, both the Fayetteville and UA police departments said no reports or complaints had been filed regarding the allegations. The UAPD added that “the information shared on social media is the first and only information we’ve heard.”
A walk-on quarterback for the Razorbacks, Renfro was briefly deleted from the team’s online roster Thursday before being reinserted later in the morning. As of Thursday early evening, his name remains on the roster. He has also apparently deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
(UPDATE: Renfro’s name is no longer listed on the Razorbacks’ online roster, as of Friday morning.)
The Stephenville, Texas, native was a three-star recruit who originally signed with Ole Miss as a scholarship player in the Class of 2020. He spent just one season with the Rebels, but moved to wide receiver at the start of fall camp, according to his Ole Miss bio, and never appeared in a game.
Following the 2020 season, Renfro opted to enter the transfer portal and he landed at Arkansas, which brought him in as a walk-on. It likely helped that he had a connection on staff, as then-Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is the brother-in-law of Kendal Briles, who was the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator at the time.
Lebby is now at Oklahoma, while Briles was hired to the same position at TCU this offseason. Renfro also had a connection to Briles through his high school coach, Sterling Doty, who played for Briles’ father – Art Briles – at Stephenville High.
In two seasons with the Arkansas football program, Renfro did not appear in a single game. He was likely the fifth-string quarterback throughout the 2021 season before tearing his ACL during the practices leading up to the Outback Bowl. Then, just as he was getting healthy, he suffered the same injury early last season. Renfro was a limited participant in practices this spring.
Without Renfro, the Razorbacks now have five quarterbacks on their 2023 roster.
Fifth-year senior KJ Jefferson is the unquestioned starter, while former walk-on Cade Fortin and North Carolina transfer Jacolby Criswell are battling for the backup job. Arkansas also has a heralded true freshman in Malachi Singleton, a four-star recruit from Georgia. The lone remaining walk-on is Jonesboro native Rykar Acebo.
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