Tennessee State University running back Devon Starling hit the transfer portal this month, ironically, after the TSU director of football operations & on-campus recruiting rammed his car when she saw him with his new girlfriend.
🔔NEW VIDEO: "22 YO TSU Football Staffer" Ariel Escobar JAILED For HlTTING TSU Player Devon Starling W/ Car After He DUMPED Her For Another Girl
LINK ===> https://t.co/OcP0Yxq0rI pic.twitter.com/dCSjneJcTl
— Jaye De Black (@JayeDeBlack) December 14, 2022
A star on the TSU football roster, news broke last week that he hit the transfer portal, which is typical for the player. He spent one year at the University of Memphis in 2019 before transferring to TSU. The circumstances that happened at the school before recently entering the transfer portal are anything but typical.
When Fraternization Goes Wrong
Ariel Escobar was arrested yesterday for purposely ramming her car into a players car because he didn't want to have a relationship… @TweetAgedPoorly https://t.co/Ty4usVC8jm
— IB THE GAMBLER 🔌 (@incarceratedbob) December 13, 2022
Ariel Escobar, the 22-year-old TSU director of football operations, was arrested on Dec. 3 at 2:30 am, per multiple reports. Escobar was apparently outside his apartment in her car as he arrived home with his girlfriend. However, Escobar claimed that she and Starling “had a sexual relationship” the day before, and she wanted his new boo to know.
Starling told authorities that after he pulled into a parking lot, Escobar followed in her car, blocking him into a spot. The situation escalated as Starling said that Escobar rammed her car into his vehicle while he and his girlfriend were inside. Starling continued by saying Escobar backed up and hit his car a second time, then pulled off, causing minor damage to Starling’s car.
But it wasn’t over.
Police reports stated that Escobar reappeared at Starling’s apartment. When Escobar was arrested, she admitted to blocking the couple in with her car to get Starling to confess they had “had a sexual relationship” the day before.
The Rise & The Fall
Escobar was the assistant director of football operations & on-campus recruiting for San Jose State Spartans Football from 2018-2021 before moving on to Tennessee State University, where she was promoted. On her LinkedIn page, Escobar described her passion for the collegiate football industry.
“I’m apart of the amazing team at Tennessee State Football. I currently serve as the Director of Football Operations and On Campus Recruiting Director,” Escobar wrote in her Linkedin “About” section. “I hope to continue working in collegiate football or the NFL in the Operations, Recruiting, or Player Engagement role.
“My passion for football can be traced back to high school, where I took the offensive and defensive statistics all four years of high school. What makes me so interested in football? Football allows me to be a part of the family that comes with being apart of a team while using my skills of organization, public speaking, leadership, and decision-making.”
Transfer Portal Ready
Tennessee State RB Devon Starling entered the transfer portal; he rushed for 1,987 yards and 7 TD and had 56 rec for 543 yards and 1 TD during his time with TSU @DevonStarling3 pic.twitter.com/VANlUYVGez
— FarrellPortal (@farrellportal) December 14, 2022
Starling should have no issues finding a new collegiate football home. He was the Ohio Valley Conference co-Freshman of the Year and is the first Tennessee State player to win the OVC Freshman of the Year award since 2011. The 6-foot-1 Nashville, Tennessee, native led the Ohio Valley Conference with 647 rushing yards on 124 attempts and rushing for three touchdowns in seven games in his first season at TSU, according to the TSU Tigers website.
In 2021, he was named to the All-OVC Offensive second team and logged 800 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns. The 2022 season saw Starling leveling up with 207 rushing yards against Eastern Washington University.
Now there are multiple losers in this scenario. TSU may lose their running back. Tennessee State University’s judgment will be questioned for hiring Escobar, and a once-rising director of football operations & on-campus recruiting has hit a massive skid in her career.
