Prosecutors say the incident happened in a dorm room on Dec. 7, 2025; a preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 12.
VILLANOVA, PA — A Villanova University student who plays wide receiver on the school’s football team has been charged with raping another student in a campus dorm room in December 2025, authorities said. The student, D’hani Cobbs, 20, surrendered after a warrant was issued and was later released on $250,000 unsecured bail.
Prosecutors in Delaware County approved a slate of felony and misdemeanor charges, saying the case remains active. The university said campus police opened an investigation as soon as officials learned of the report and notified the district attorney’s office. School officials said the accused student was removed from campus during the inquiry. Court filings show a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 12 in district court, the next public step in the case. The district attorney emphasized that all individuals charged are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
According to investigators, the incident occurred on Dec. 7, 2025, after students attended an off-campus event and later returned to Cobbs’ dorm room with others. When the two were alone, the victim said Cobbs tried to kiss her; she said no. Prosecutors allege Cobbs then forcibly penetrated and assaulted her without consent inside the residence hall. The following day, on Dec. 8, Villanova Public Safety received the report and issued a campus alert about the incident. Cobbs turned himself in after a complaint and warrant were filed on Jan. 29, 2026, and he was arrested by campus police on Jan. 30, authorities said. In a statement, the university said it cooperated fully with law enforcement and removed the student from campus while the case proceeds.
Charges approved by the district attorney include rape by forcible compulsion and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, both felonies. Additional counts include aggravated indecent assault with and without consent, sexual assault, and two counts of indecent assault. Prosecutors said investigators reviewed witness interviews, messages, and other records before approving charges. Officials said Cobbs sent messages to the victim after she left the room, apologizing and asking to talk. The district attorney said the case is being handled by Villanova University Public Safety along with county prosecutors, and asked anyone with information to contact the lead investigator.
The school said campus police began their investigation immediately after learning of the report and informed county prosecutors the same day. The football team’s online roster no longer lists a biography for Cobbs, a freshman who had been identified publicly as a wide receiver. Separate court records indicate Cobbs is barred from contacting the accuser as a condition of bail. The prosecutor, Tanner Rouse, said in a statement that consent standards apply regardless of a person’s status, adding, “No means no, and stop means stop,” while commending the reporting student and the university police for moving quickly.
Villanova is a private Catholic university on the Main Line in Delaware County, west of Philadelphia, where most undergraduates live on or near campus. The reported assault comes as colleges continue to adjust Title IX procedures and campus safety protocols. Local police and campus public safety routinely cross-notify prosecutors in serious cases that occur in student housing. In recent years, area departments have emphasized faster notifications and coordination between university and municipal investigators when felony allegations arise on campus property.
Court dockets show Cobbs’ bail set at $250,000 unsecured with the no-contact order in place. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12, when a judge will decide whether the case advances to county court for possible arraignment and trial. Prosecutors said the investigation is ongoing and more information could be presented at that hearing. Defense counsel was not immediately listed in publicly available court records as of this week. University officials said they would provide further updates as appropriate under student privacy rules and law enforcement guidance.
On campus this week, some students described a quiet but tense mood inside residence halls. A sophomore who lives near the building identified in a campus alert said classmates were “processing and leaning on each other.” A graduate student who works in a lab across Lancaster Avenue said the police presence appeared normal but that word of the arrest spread quickly. “People are watching for updates and hoping the process is fair to everyone involved,” the graduate student said.
As of Friday, the case remains in preliminary court with a hearing expected on Feb. 12. Prosecutors say the investigation is active and could add details in filings or at the hearing. The university says the student remains removed from campus while the matter is pending.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.