WACO, Texas — Baylor football player Sam Ukwuachu was sentenced to 180 days in jail and given 10 years of probation Friday for sexually assaulting a female soccer player at the Texas university.
The 22-year-old Ukwuachu was also was ordered to perform 400 hours of community service as another condition of probation. He had faced up to 20 years in prison.
Ukwuachu, an All-America defensive end from Pearland, Texas, started 12 games for Boise State as a freshman. He transferred in 2013 after being dismissed for unspecified reasons, but never played for Baylor. He was ineligible in 2013 because of NCAA transfer rules and suspended in 2014, though Baylor never gave a reason.
Ukwuachu was found guilty Thursday of one count of sexual assault by a jury in Texas district court.
Prosecutors say Ukwuachu sexually assaulted a former Baylor women's soccer player at his Waco apartment. Ukwuachu has said the encounter was consensual.
After the verdict, the judge ruled Ukwuachu's bond insufficient and ordered him jailed.
A Baylor official testified that the school investigated the woman's complaint but didn't find enough evidence ''to move forward.''
Baylor said it will conduct an investigation into the handling of sexual assault allegations by the school against Ukwuachu, who was allowed to transfer from Boise State despite a history of disciplinary problems.
Baylor President Ken Starr called for a "comprehensive internal inquiry into the circumstances associated with the case the conduct of the offices involved."
New Baylor statement pic.twitter.com/lcXtIUBXUq
— Jessica Luther (@scATX) August 21, 2015
Earlier Friday, Baylor football coach Art Briles' stated he was never informed of Ukwuachu's troubled past by then-Boise State coach Chris Petersen before the linebacker changed schools. Petersen, now coach at the University of Washington, then strongly refuted Briles' statement.
The review will be led by law professor Jeremy Counseller, who is a faculty athletic representative to the Big 12 and NCAA and a former assistant criminal district attorney.
