Star Oregon receiver Darren Carrington was suspended indefinitely by Ducks coach Willie Taggart following his arrest Saturday morning in Eugene on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants.





Darren Carrington

Carrington, 22, was arrested at 3:15 a.m. Saturday after allegedly colliding with a pole in the drive-through at a McDonald's at 659 E. Broadway near downtown Eugene, according to Eugene police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin.

After receiving a call of a possibly intoxicated driver, a Eugene police officer observed a Honda Accord make an improper right turn from the McDonald's parking lot and stopped the car at Mill Street and Eighth Avenue, McLaughlin said.

The officer suspected the driver was impaired, and arrested Carrington for DUII. He also has been cited for careless driving and improper right turn, according to McLaughlin.

A full police report will not be made available until the case is fully adjudicated.

Carrington was booked into Lane County jail at 5:28 a.m. and left at approximately 6:30 a.m. after bail of $590 was posted on his behalf, according to jail officials.

Through a UO spokesman, Taggart said Saturday morning that UO has indefinitely suspended Carrington "from all football team activities after his arrest last night. ... We are continuing to gather the facts in this matter."

With his NFL draft prospects hazy in December, Carrington elected to return for his senior season and was energized by what he called "this new era of duck football." Seven months later, however, it's unclear whether Carrington will be afforded another opportunity to take part in it.

Shortly after UO issued its statement Saturday morning, Carrington posted a photo to his Instagram account with the caption, "Thanks for everything I'll truly miss my brothers love y'all."

Carrington is scheduled to appear in Eugene Municipal Court July 21.

Carrington was Oregon's most established receiver and, after averaging 17.1 yards per catch for his career, its most likely to produce a big play through the air. After a junior season where he caught a career-high 43 passes for 606 yards and five touchdowns, was expected to be a big-play target for UO quarterback Justin Herbert in the fall. He has caught 112 career passes for 1,919 yards and 15 touchdowns.

His workload in Taggart's "Gulf Coast offense" now could be spread among receivers such as senior Charles Nelson, sophomore Dillon Mitchell and sophomore Malik Lovette.

Carrington missed the 2015 College Football Playoff national championship game while serving a suspension for reportedly failing an NCAA-run drug test. That penalty rendered him ineligible for the first half of the following season, as well, and while serving that suspension he was cited by Eugene police for an open container violation in September 2015. Last fall, in October, a UO graduate accused Carrington of breaking his arm following Oregon's victory against Arizona State, though Eugene police never charged Carrington.

Taggart has been clear on his policy for punishing those who stepped out of line with the program's standards upon his hiring in December.

"Someone is going to try me," Taggart said in December, weeks after his hiring. "It hasn't failed yet, and I hate to say make an example of them but it is what it is. I explain it to you Day One and you know how it is. That's how it's going to go. I don't want to hear, 'Oh I forgot' or anything; there's no forgetting, you better know if this is where you want to be."

Determining the severity of Carrington's discipline going forward will mark a second major decision for Taggart.

He received his first test in January, when former co-offensive coordinator David Reaves was arrested on DUII, among other charges. Within hours of Reaves' arrest, UO said it planned to fire him. He eventually resigned in early February. Two months later, he pleaded no contest to multiple charges and was ordered to enter a diversion program.

-- Andrew Greif

agreif@oregonian.com