Hodges missed spring game after March arrest

Miami Hurricanes third-year tight end Larry Hodges missed Saturday’s spring game after he was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of 20 grams or less of marijuana in March, according to Miami-Dade County Police.

Leading up to the spring game, a UM spokesperson said Hodges “has been withheld from team activities due to violation of team rules.”

According to a police report, Hodges was initially pulled over in a silver Nissan Altima on March 21 in South Miami because the front windshield was covered by a sunscreen material.

The arresting officer said Hodges “attempted to flee and elude me, however I never lost visual on the vehicle.” The officer said the Hodges made two turns before parking at a gas station.

Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer “immediately smelled a distinct and strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle” and observed “a green, leafy substance residue of [marijuana] in plain view with brown tobacco leaves located in the center console,” the police report said.

Hodges did not have his drivers license with him, but was later identified, according to the police report. As Hodges “was nervous, stuttering and displayed profuse sweating,” according to the officer, he had Hodges step out of the vehicle, handcuffed and detained him.

Hodges admitted to the officer he was smoking marijuana in the vehicle the prior evening, according to the report. He was in possession of the vehicle since then, which he said belonged to a friend’s sister. The report later said the vehicle was returned to Miami teammate and defensive end Jahfari Harvey as the brother of the registered owner.

A search of the vehicle yielded the cannabis, and a blue and white packet containing cannabis residue, the officer said.

Further search resulted in the officer finding a loaded Glock-27 with its magazine and bullets in the driver’s side door pocket and no holster. A second handgun was located in the center console glove compartment, loaded with its magazine, bullets and no holster. Hodges did not have a concealed weapons license, according to police.

Hodges remains on the UM roster as of Monday evening.

Without him, the Hurricanes held their spring game at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday without a scholarship tight end as Will Mallory, Dominic Mammarelli and early enrollee Elijah Arroyo are all recovering from injuries. UM is also adding signed Miami Northwestern tight end Kahlil Brantley before the fall season.

As a redshirt freshman in the 2020 season, Hodges played in six games and recorded one reception in the blowout victory over Florida State.

In his first college season, playing four games while redshirting, both of his receptions went for touchdowns in a win over Bethune-Cookman.