Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood announced on Tuesday that quarterback Philip Nelson has been dismissed from the team. Nelson was charged with first- and third-degree assault for his part in an alcohol-fueled attack that left a 24-year-old man near death early Sunday.

Nelson transferred to Rutgers in January after starting 16 games in two seasons at the University of Minnesota. He is charged with first-degree assault, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, for kicking Isaac Kolstad in the head in downtown Mankato, Minn., around 2 a.m. Sunday.

“We don’t know what the process was," Nelson's attorney, Jim Fleming, told NJ.com. "We are just disappointed.”

Nelson appeared in court on Monday, where a judge set bail at $20,000. Nelson posted bail Monday evening and left Blue Earth County Jail with a towel covering his head.

Rutgers released a statement on Sunday afternoon that it was gathering information on the situation. On Tuesday, Flood announced that Nelson has been dismissed from the team.

"The Rutgers football family's thoughts and prayers are with Isaac Kolstad and his family," Flood said in a statement.

Nelson enrolled at Rutgers in January and participated in spring practice, but was scheduled to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. He played one series in the Scarlet-White game on April 26, completing 1-of-3 passes for a loss of 11 yards after a lineman caught a deflected pass in the backfield.

Nelson was expected to compete for the starting quarterback job in 2015. He threw for 1,306 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions last season before announcing his decision to transfer to a more pass-oriented offense.

Nelson and Kolstad, both Mankato natives, had an altercation in the entertainment district of their hometown early Sunday morning. Kolstad punched Nelson in the back, causing him to fall to the ground, according to a criminal complaint.

Kolstad began to move away and an unknown assailant, described as a white male in his early 20s wearing a red t-shirt and jeans, ran after him. The unknown male delivered a punch to Kolstad's head/face. Kolstad immediately went limp and collapsed to the pavement.

Nelson then pushed past others and delivered a kick to the head of a defenseless Kolstad, according to the complaint. The unknown suspect fled the scene, while Nelson remained in the area and was identified by several witnesses as the person who kicked Kolstad in the head.

Nelson, 20, was observed by a police officer on the scene as having bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol coming from him, the complaint said.

Dr. Dominic Cannella, a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, said Kolstad has a severe head injury and a severe pulmonary injury, according to the complaint. The doctor isn't sure if Kolstad will survive and isn't optimistic he'll have a good recovery if he does survive. The doctor said they are taking the situation hour-by-hour.

Kolstad, who is married with a 3-year-old daughter and another child on the way, played linebacker at Minnesota State-Mankato. He graduated in December and was working as a sales representative for Fastenal, an industrial supplies company.

NJ.com staff writer A.J. Perez contributed to this report from Mankato, Minn.