Food Network's "Pioneer Woman" star Ree Drummond's 24-year-old foster son has reached a plea deal in his drug and assault case.
Jamar Goff pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault, for which he received a 48-month suspended sentence, and another count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, resulting in a 24-month suspended sentence, in an Alabama court Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
He was released from custody and placed on probation for 12 months. Goff was also ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation and random drug testing and was banned from the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.
In exchange for his guilty plea to the two felonies, the state dropped Goff's other charges
for attempting to elude a police officer and drug paraphernalia.
Court records list his current residence as a sober-living home.
Ladd and Ree Drummond – who is known for her "Pioneer Woman" cooking show, cookbooks and lifestyle brand – became foster parents to Goff in 2018, when he was a teenager. The Food Network star, 57, previously said the family met Goff through her sons Bryce and Todd, who played football with him.
Why was Jamar Goff arrested?
Goff was arrested Sept. 17 by University of Alabama at Birmingham campus police after an officer discovered him shirtless and "seemingly asleep" near a fountain on campus while responding to a report of a "suspicious person," according to the complaint obtained by USA TODAY. When the officer woke Goff, he reportedly said he was waiting for someone to sell him "ice," a street name for methamphetamine.
The officer gave Goff a trespass warning and told him to leave the area, but soon after learned he had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear. Goff then "used an open-handed palm" to slap an assisting officer and attempted to flee, per the complaint.
He was eventually taken into custody near the Women and Infants Center, where officers discovered his backpack containing a glass pipe and suspected methamphetamine. He remained in jail on a $37,000 bond until his release on Nov. 4.
This is not Goff's first run-in with the law. In 2025, he was accused of domestic violence and the woman was granted a restraining order against him. That same year, he was taken into custody for allegedly biting a detention or correctional officer’s hand, according to court records.
What has Ree Drummond said about fostering Jamar Goff?
Ree Drummond first opened up about welcoming Goff into the family in her 2020 book, "Frontier Follies," introducing him as her "bodacious, bright, brilliant bonus kid named Jamar."
"That he came to be our foster son was entirely situational," she continued. "Fostering a kid was never something Ladd and I pursued or felt called to do, but Jamar’s circumstances presented themselves to us in a way we couldn’t ignore—so, long story short, all six foot five inches of him showed up at our house one afternoon, bag in hand, ready to move in."
She explained that her husband was the one who suggested Goff live with them after meeting him during their sons' high school football practice that summer. Goff was later seriously injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident on the Drummonds' property, leading to a surgery and an extended recovery, she wrote in the book.
"He’s larger than life, has a hilarious laugh, and is extremely smart—both book and street. He’s a great kid who’s overcome some difficulties in his life, not to mention a tough accident (and a foster mom who overfed him and unintentionally tried to turn him into a fly fisherman)," Drummond added. "Through a ton of determination, Jamar has excelled in football, and he’s already received a couple of college offers, with more sure to come in! I’m proud of the kid, and I can’t wait to see where life takes him."
Goff went on to join the football team at the University of Central Oklahoma in 2021, Drummond announced on her Instagram at the time. She continued to show her support for her foster son, sharing a touching tribute in 2023 for his birthday.
"Today is October 7, otherwise known as Jamar’s birthday, and I hope these photos give you a little glimpse into his personality and his presence," the caption read. "With Jamar, there’s a whole universe going on in that mind and heart and soul of his. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. What will Jamar be doing in five years, I often imagine, as I do with all my kids. Where will he be in ten years, in twenty? I can’t wait to watch his future unfold. I know it will be filled with good things. I love you, Jamar!! ❤️🥳"
Contributing: Sameen Chaudhry, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Pioneer Woman' star Ree Drummond's foster son Jamar Goff avoids jail in drug, assault case
