Malik Simmons given 'significant penalty,' will miss two games

North Carolina has suspended defensive back Malik Simmons for the first two games of the 2015 season after the senior had charges of marijuana possession and resisting arrest deferred earlier this week.

"Malik's actions did not meet the standards of the Carolina football program and he will serve a significant penalty as a result," coach Larry Fedora said in a release. "I'm confident he will learn from it and we can put these issues in the past."

On Thursday, Simmons agreed to perform 24 hours of community service before Feb. 4 in exchange for having the charges deferred.

Simmons started five games last season, finishing the season with 34 tackles. He moved from the ram linebacker spot to cornerback this spring and is expected to be a key contributor on defense.

The Tar Heels open their season in Charlotte, North Carolina, against South Carolina. Simmons will also miss the Week 2 game against North Carolina A&T. He will continue to practice with the team, the school said.