Tahaad Pettiford arrest: Bruce Pearl releases statement on Auburn guard's DUI

Following Tahaad Pettiford’s arrest for DUI, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl released a statement to ESPN. He said the program intends to deal with the situation internally and is aware of what happened.

Pettiford was booked early Saturday morning in Lee County for allegedly driving under the influence, according to police records. He posted a $1,000 bond.

Pettiford’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) was not reported. However, because he is under the legal drinking age, having a BAC of 0.02% or higher is considered illegal in the state of Alabama.

“We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family,” Pearl said, via ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.”

Pettiford is coming off an impressive freshman year at Auburn as the Tigers made a run to the Final Four. He appeared in 38 games, making one start, and averaged 11.6 points. He also added 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game.

After the season, Pettiford declared for the NBA Draft and went through the evaluation process. However, he later withdrew from the draft and returned to Auburn, and Pearl shared what led to that decision.

“Well first of all, going somewhere else was not ever a factor because that’s now how Tahaad Pettiford is built,” Pearl said. “That’s not how [his father] Travis Pettiford is built. That’s not how his coaches are built that are around him. They’re not loyal to a fault, but they are loyal. Tahaad, every step of the way, has proven people wrong. He was ranked 25th coming out of high school and come on, there weren’t 24 players better than Tahaad Pettiford other than he was just six-feet tall.”

Pettiford is already generating buzz for the 2026 NBA Draft, and ESPN listed him as one of the top players to watch ahead of the 2025-26 season. According to Jeremy Woo, the Auburn star could find himself in the first round if he improves on the defensive end.

“Pettiford stood out on the first day of the NBA combine, and though he didn’t do enough to secure the first-round stability he sought, he reminded scouts of his talent as he returns to Auburn,” Woo wrote. “He should have the freedom to operate next season, with the Tigers having vacated a sizable chunk of backcourt minutes.

“Pettiford’s scoring ability and explosiveness give him a chance to succeed as an undersized guard, but NBA teams want him to expand his playmaking and improve defensively. His size — 6-1, 175 pounds — projects him as a spark off the bench. Still, if Pettiford can help reframe the conversation about his upside, he could land in the first round.”