ATLANTA - Georgia's athletic department has contacted the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference regarding the eligibility of football player Jarvis Jones and incoming basketball player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

In a report Sunday by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Jones and Caldwell-Pope were linked to a Columbus parks and recreation director under police investigation for misusing public funds.

In a statement released Monday, Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said the school, Jones and Caldwell-Pope will cooperate with the NCAA and SEC.

"No further comments will be available until the matter is resolved," the statement read.

Jones, who went to Carver High in Columbus, transferred to Georgia last year from Southern Cal. He is expected to start at outside linebacker this year for the Bulldogs.
Jones and Caldwell-Pope were members of the Georgia AAU Blazers, a basketball team funded by the city of Columbus, sponsored by Nike and overseen by parks director Tony Adams and associate Herman Porter.

Caldwell-Pope was a McDonald's All-American guard at Greenville High School. He signed with the Bulldogs in November.

The Ledger-Enquirer reported that police records show Adams and Porter used an unauthorized bank account to pay for Jones' flights to and from Los Angeles and to cover cell phone costs of Caldwell-Pope's mother.

Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox told reporters during an SEC teleconference Monday that he was "just made aware of that" Sunday.

"Obviously, we'll cooperate with the process," Fox said.
"I really can't speculate on what penalty there will be if there is one."