Ole Miss freshmen Damarius Yates, Rees Wise arrested on DUI charges

Two Ole Miss freshmen were booked into the Lafayette County Detention Center early Sunday morning on DUI-related charges, putting the university’s football program back under a local spotlight in Oxford and Lafayette County.

Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office records show Damarius Yates, 19, was charged with driving under the influence, speeding and reckless driving. Rees Wise, 18, was charged with DUI and careless driving. Both players were enrolled at Ole Miss for the spring semester, and both were booked into the county jail after the arrests.

The two names are familiar in recruiting circles. Ole Miss Athletics lists Wise as a quarterback from Texas and Yates as a running back from De Kalb, Mississippi. Wise came to Oxford as a unanimous three-star prospect and a top-60 quarterback by Rivals and 247Sports, while Ole Miss identified Yates as a unanimous four-star prospect and member of the ESPN300. Wise played at Westlake High School, and Yates had been a top-150 national recruit in the 2026 class.

For Ole Miss, the arrests carry more than a roster hit. Football is a central part of campus life in Oxford, where the university promotes the city as a major college-football destination and game days draw intense local attention. When young players who just arrived on campus are arrested on driving-related charges, the issue reaches beyond the locker room and into the county’s broader expectations for safety, conduct and accountability.

The cases now move into the county justice system, where charges against Yates and Wise will be handled separately from any university response. For the football program, the arrests create an early test of discipline for two freshmen who had only recently joined the roster and were still establishing their roles on campus.