Report: Oklahoma's Joe Mixon enters plea deal, won't serve jail time

Oklahoma freshman Joe Mixon has entered an Alford plea to assault charges, which means he'll avoid jail time.

The deal means the five-star running back will receive a one-year deferred sentence. An Alford plea means he pleaded guilty in criminal court, but not to the offense.

The defendant admits the prosecution has evidence that will likely lead to a conviction, KFOR-TV reports. 

Mixon will also be required to complete 100 hours of community service as well as undergo cognitive behavior counseling, according to SoonerScoop.com's RJ Young. His attorney, Kevin Finlay, released the following statement:

Today, Joe has made the decision that entering an Alford Plea to the misdemeanor and accepting the short period of probation was the best course of action at this point in his life. Joe does not want to be a further distraction to his family, friends, teammates, and the University of Oklahoma.  Joe would like to apologize to everyone affected by this unfortunate chain of events. Joe looks forward to continuing towards his goal of becoming a successful student and athlete at the University of Oklahoma.