Virginia Tech freshman linebacker Isi Etute - a product of Virginia Beach (Va.) Cox who enrolled in January - has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge.

Blacksburg resident Jerry Smith, 40, was found dead in his home after a wellness check Tuesday evening. Etute was initially considered a person of interest, and has since been charged with second-degree homicide.

SUBSCRIBE NOW and get Hokie Haven FREE until Aug 10! Take advantage of our VISITS2021 deal here.

The department's press release states that Etute was an acquaintance of Smith, and multiple witnesses in the case are cooperating with the investigation.

From a football perspective, Etute will be suspended from the team and University while a felony charge is pending. A 6-2, 200-pound two-star recruit out of high school, his presence has been scrubbed from the Virginia Tech Athletics website.

Should he be exonerated of the charge, Etute would be eligible to return to the program, though the haste with which the case is moving would certainly indicate that the likelihood of such an outcome is low.