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Kivon Bennett dismissed from Tennessee Volunteeers football program after arrest

Tennessee has dismissed starting outside linebacker Kivon Bennett from the football team following his arrest on gun and drug charges near campus on Tuesday, Volunteers coach Jeremy Pruitt said in a statement.

Bennett, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, led the Volunteers with 7½ tackles for loss and was tied for the team lead with 4½ sacks. He is the son of former Alabama and NFL linebacker Cornelius Bennett.

Kivon Bennett is facing felony charges of possession of a firearm during commission or attempt to commit a felony and possession of Schedule 6 drugs with intent, in addition to misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a weapon.

He was being held in the Knox County Jail, according to the Knox County Sheriff's website.

"Kivon Bennett has been dismissed from our football program following a traffic stop earlier [Tuesday]," Pruitt said in a statement. "There is a standard our student-athletes are expected to uphold at Tennessee, and [Tuesday's] incident fell well short of that standard."

According to a police report, Bennett was pulled over for speeding near campus Tuesday morning. The officer smelled marijuana in the car, and Bennett advised the officer that he had a handgun under his seat. Police found 44.9 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, storage bags and a handgun, according to the report.

The Volunteers (2-5) play No. 6 Florida (7-1) at home on Saturday.