Defensive lineman Dion Stutts, a standout high school football prospect who had made a commitment to play for the University of Arkansas in 2024, tragically passed away on Tuesday after colliding with a utility vehicle.
According to a representative for the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place on the Stutts family property in Batesville, Mississippi.
According to the representative, Stutts and another driver were travelling in a side-by-side when it somehow crashed. The football player was able to try to get assistance from Stutts’ passenger, who was unharmed, but he was tragically subsequently declared dead.
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An investigation into the wreck remains ongoing, the police spokesperson said.
Tributes have poured in on social media for the teenage footballer.
The Razorbacks — who accepted a commitment from Stutts back in March — said in a statement Wednesday they’re devastated over the news.
“We are heartbroken over the passing of Dion Stutts,” the team wrote on its Twitter page. “He was a tremendous young man with a bright future ahead of him. We were as excited to add him to our program as he was to be a Razorback.”
In addition to being a force on the football pitch while Stutts was a student at Memphis University School in Tennessee, he was a top wrestler for the school as well.
Before choosing Arkansas, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound athlete had received numerous scholarship offers, including those from Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.
