ATHENS —The status of Georgia starting defensive back Javon Bullard is in flux after his arrest on a DUI charge near Sanford Stadium early on Sunday morning.

“We have a process here we go through, and we have a committee he goes through with the athletic director (Josh Brooks) and Darrice (Griffin, senior deputy director of athletics),” Smart said at his press conference on Monday.

“There’s still a lot in the air there.”

Bullard, a sophomore from MIlledgeville, started three of the first four games this season for Georgia including the home game on Saturday against Kent State. Bullard played 47 snaps --fourth most among defensive players -- in the 39-22 home game victory over the Golden Flashes.

Per previous University of Georgia disciplinary policy, Bullard is not expected to travel or play for the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs when the team plays at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Missouri next Saturday.

West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, is next up on the depth chart at the “star” defensive back position where Bullard has played. UGA parted with sixth-year senior William Poole, who also played that position, earlier this season.

Per a University of Georgia Police Department field case report, Bullard was pulled over shortly after 2:54 a.m. on Sunday after being observed driving with his lights off and crossing a double yellow line, “nearly striking an oncoming vehicle” on River Road near Sanford Stadium.

The report indicated Bullard’s speech was slurred, and he told the officer on the scene he had consumed two shots. Bullard consented to a field sobriety test and exhibited a “gross lack of balance” along with other signs of impairment.

“Based on my observation of Bullard’s driving behavior, my interaction with him and his performance of the standardized field sobriety tests,” the officer’s report states, “I believed him to be impaired to the point he was less safe to operate a vehicle.

“I placed Bullard under arrest for DUI … "

The officer detailed how Bullard was placed into handcuffs and taken into custody, later consenting to breathalyzer tests which reflected “samples of 0.143 and 0.148″ per the report.

The current legal blood alcohol limit in Georgia is .08 for adult drivers aged 21 and over.

The 20-year-old Bullard was also charged with four other misdemeanor driving offenses along with furnishing, purchasing and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons under 21 years of age and a charge related to carrying and exhibiting his driver’s license on demand.

“I’m disappointed for Javon, hate it for him, he has a wonderful family,” Smart said. “But he made poor decisions and it will be dealt with internally.”