SALT LAKE CITY — Dominique Hatfield is back as a student at the University of Utah, and head football coach Kyle Whittingham said Hatfield could be back with the football team if his final misdemeanor charge gets resolved soon.
Hatfield was dismissed from the team in July after he was charged with aggravated robbery. Those first-degree felony charges were later dismissed, but Hatfield still faces a misdemeanor assault charge from a different case stemming from a fight at a party on July 5.
The University of Utah has decided to allow Hatfield to remain as a student, but he’s still not back with the football team.
“Right now, there’s been closure on the first incident with the legal process,” said Whittham. “The second thing that we were dealing with the University has closure on it, as far as he is going to be allowed to stay in school. The legal process is still running its course with that situation. From a football standpoint we have to make sure everything has run its course and then we will re-evaluate after everything has been decided and had closure.”
Whittingham said Hatfield could be back on the team this season but it depends on the timing.
“If it was before camp ended then it would be a very viable possibility that he could be back in the mix early in the season,” said Whittigham. The Longer it goes the less likely it is that he will be a factor this year for us, but he does have redshirt year, if in fact he’s able to get reinstated and get everything worked through, then we have that option as well to be redshirted.”
