A Texas Christian University football player who was expected to be a key piece of the 2026 team's defense was kicked off the team for his alleged involvement in a locker room assault just weeks before Horned Frogs' season opener.
As reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Christian has removed senior safety Jacob Fields from the team. Moreover, TCU has rescinded the newspaper's credentials to cover Horned Frogs athletics over its coverage of the Aug. 13 locker room assault that led to Fields' dismissal.
In a phone conversation Sunday, a TCU athletics spokesman said press credentials held by the Star-Telegram were being pulled because the coverage resulted in threats to the victim. Jim Barnes of the Star-Telegram reported Wednesday that the paper did not identify the player, junior wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma, until three days after the initial report, when he identified himself in a now-deleted Instagram video.
The newspaper reported Aug. 18 that Fields had gotten into a physical altercation with an offensive player, leading a TCU football staffer to contact campus police. The incident was listed as an aggravated assault that "occurred in the men's locker room" that took place on Aug. 13 at 1:30 p.m., according to a police report.
Per a USA TODAY report, the Star-Telegram said TCU did not specify what would need to be done to regain access. The decision came less than a week before the Horned Frogs open the football season Saturday against North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. The publication noted its beat writer is traveling to the game, and his credential for it was revoked since TCU is the designated home team, therefore it can determine who is credentialed.
TCU athletic director Mike Buddie defended the decision, saying in a statement the school's focus is the health and wellbeing of our student athlete.
"Unfortunately, an unnamed source without first-hand knowledge of the incident provided inaccurate information cited in initial reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which we strongly disputed," Buddie said. "The inclusion of the misinformation advanced a narrative that endangered a student-athlete and resulted in threats to him and his family. These actions led to the decision to withhold the media credential until additional conversation can be held between athletics and the sports reporting team. We remain dedicated to restoring our student to health as well as focusing on the game that’s ahead."
