I think it is likely that you are both right. Not all domestic violence is of the same magnitude, and it is likely that what happened here isn't anywhere on par with Rice, Hardy, Mixon, etc.
Doesn't make it right, though. But it also means that he doesn't have to have the earth scorched as punishment, just because he did something stupid that wasn't necessarily using his hands on a woman. He did allegedly push her down, though. But one would think that prior issues [and it doesn't seem like there were any] would be a mitigating factor here, given that the kid lost his ride to Texas A&M and got stigmatized for his actions. The judicial outcomes which--which first reduced the charges from felonies to misdemeanors and then dropped the charges entirely--seem to reflect that view.
And just to be clear, I am not condoning it or saying "boys will be boys," or anything nearly that ignorant just because he's a football player who can help our team. It is possible that the punishment he's endured thus far were an adequate set of penalties for what transpired in this case. Had he struck her with his hands, I would have a completely different point of view and wouldn't be tolerant of this kid being added to the roster. At all. And I doubt that Babers / Wildhack would have, either.
But him having a "clean" track record prior to these incidents would be a HUGE factor in that determination, IMO.