Georgia defensive back Jalen Carter returned to the NFL scouting combine Thursday after turning himself in to Athens police Wednesday night and posting a combined $4,000 bond. charges of careless driving and racing in connection with a fatal accident that killed a teammate and a team employee.

Carter, originally projected to be one of the top players in next month’s NFL draftcould lose millions of dollars if it falls from the top of the first round due to its alleged connection to the events of January 15 crash that killed teammate Devin Wheelock and the recruiter, 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy.

Police allege in an arrest warrant that Carter was racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against a 2021 Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy at the time of the crash. Wheelock was a passenger in an SUV driven by LeCroy.

According to Athens-Clarke County Jail records, Carter appeared at 11:33 p.m. and was released at 11:49 p.m. He posted a $2,500 bond for the racing charge and a $1,500 bond for the reckless driving charge.

Carter issued a statement on Twitter after the warrant was released Wednesday, saying he expected to be “fully exonerated.”

He said he intends to “make sure that the full and accurate truth is presented. I have no doubt that when all the facts are known I will be fully acquitted of any criminal offences.’

The Indianapolis plant is abuzz with talk of Carter’s allegations.

“All I can do is pray for him,” Georgia defensive end Christopher Smith said.

And NFL teams will be looking for more information.

“We’ll keep an eye on it, obviously,” Washington Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew said Wednesday.

“We have a company that we are working with to investigate the story. We will work with this company. We look very carefully at the background of these guys, especially criminal activity or criminal behavior or things like that. I don’t know what happened to him. I’m not saying he did anything wrong. But we will find out what happened to him. We will find out.”

Carter is projected to be drafted No. 1. In 2022, Georgia quarterback Trevon Walker received a $41.65 million contract with Jacksonville as the No. 1 pick. Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the No. 10 pick, earned a deal with New York Jets for $22.6 million. The No. 20 pick, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, received a $15.3 million contract with the Steelers.

“I think the character is very important, but I think you have to go into it with the understanding that these are usually teenage kids,” Mayhew said. “If they’ve made a mistake as a teenager, and we condemn every guy who’s done that, that’s our business. Everything needs to be weighed and evaluated as a whole person, and that’s how I look at it.

“I don’t know all the details. It’s certainly a challenge for him, and something that needs to be explained, carefully explained, and something that needs to be investigated in terms of the fact that it’s the first time it’s happened.”

​​​​​​​While the situation could affect Carter’s professional future, the loss of life in the crash overshadows all of that, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said.

“First of all, it was a terrible tragedy,” DeCosta said. “Let me say. Second, I don’t know much about the situation. … I wouldn’t want to comment on the specifics of how that would affect somebody’s draft status because there’s a lot more information out there and I’m not knowledgeable about that. I could be by the time the project rolls around. It was a terrible thing that happened there, and I feel terrible for the families, the parents involved. I have kids and it’s horrible. Here’s what I would say about it.”

The crash happened just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony.

According to the arrest warrant, LeCroy and Carter were driving their cars “in a racing manner” after leaving downtown Athens at about 2:30 a.m.

The warrant said evidence showed the vehicles were changing lanes, driving in the center lane, driving in oncoming lanes, passing other motorists and driving at high speeds “in an apparent attempt to outrun each other.”

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AP sportswriter Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25

Georgia defensive back Jalen Carter returned to the NFL scouting combine Thursday after turning himself in to Athens police Wednesday night and posting a combined $4,000 bond. charges of careless driving and racing in connection with a fatal accident that killed a teammate and a team employee.

Carter, originally projected to be one of the top players in next month’s NFL draftcould lose millions of dollars if it falls from the top of the first round due to its alleged connection to the events of January 15 crash that killed teammate Devin Wheelock and the recruiter, 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy.

Police allege in an arrest warrant that Carter was racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against a 2021 Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy at the time of the crash. Wheelock was a passenger in an SUV driven by LeCroy.

According to Athens-Clarke County Jail records, Carter appeared at 11:33 p.m. and was released at 11:49 p.m. He posted a $2,500 bond for the racing charge and a $1,500 bond for the reckless driving charge.

Carter issued a statement on Twitter after the warrant was released Wednesday, saying he expected to be “fully exonerated.”

He said he intends to “make sure that the full and accurate truth is presented. I have no doubt that when all the facts are known I will be fully acquitted of any criminal offences.’

The Indianapolis plant is abuzz with talk of Carter’s allegations.

“All I can do is pray for him,” Georgia defensive end Christopher Smith said.

And NFL teams will be looking for more information.

“We’ll keep an eye on it, obviously,” Washington Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew said Wednesday.

“We have a company that we are working with to investigate the story. We will work with this company. We look very carefully at the background of these guys, especially criminal activity or criminal behavior or things like that. I don’t know what happened to him. I’m not saying he did anything wrong. But we will find out what happened to him. We will find out.”

Carter is projected to be drafted No. 1. In 2022, Georgia quarterback Trevon Walker received a $41.65 million contract with Jacksonville as the No. 1 pick. Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the No. 10 pick, earned a deal with New York Jets for $22.6 million. The No. 20 pick, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, received a $15.3 million contract with the Steelers.

“I think the character is very important, but I think you have to go into it with the understanding that these are usually teenage kids,” Mayhew said. “If they’ve made a mistake as a teenager, and we condemn every guy who’s done that, that’s our business. Everything needs to be weighed and evaluated as a whole person, and that’s how I look at it.

“I don’t know all the details. It’s certainly a challenge for him, and something that needs to be explained, carefully explained, and something that needs to be investigated in terms of the fact that it’s the first time it’s happened.”

​​​​​​​While the situation could affect Carter’s professional future, the loss of life in the crash overshadows all of that, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said.

“First of all, it was a terrible tragedy,” DeCosta said. “Let me say. Second, I don’t know much about the situation. … I wouldn’t want to comment on the specifics of how that would affect somebody’s draft status because there’s a lot more information out there and I’m not knowledgeable about that. I could be by the time the project rolls around. It was a terrible thing that happened there, and I feel terrible for the families, the parents involved. I have kids and it’s horrible. Here’s what I would say about it.”

The crash happened just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony.

According to the arrest warrant, LeCroy and Carter were driving their cars “in a racing manner” after leaving downtown Athens at about 2:30 a.m.

The warrant said evidence showed the vehicles were changing lanes, driving in the center lane, driving in oncoming lanes, passing other motorists and driving at high speeds “in an apparent attempt to outrun each other.”

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AP sportswriter Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25