Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi announced the death of freshman defensive back Mason Alexander on Sunday morning. Alexander was 18 years old and had enrolled at the University in January after graduating high school early.

“Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family.”

According to reports, Alexander, who was back in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana, for spring break, was the victim of a car crash Saturday evening. Alexander was a passenger in the car, which left the road and collided with a tree. He died at the scene of the accident.

A member of Pitt’s 2025 recruiting class, Alexander was a four-star cornerback out of Hamilton Southeastern High School. He committed to the Panthers last summer over offers from schools like Auburn, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon and Tennessee.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Alexander tallied 52 tackles and an interception during his senior season for a 7-4 Hamilton Southeastern team. Besides his exploits on the football field, Alexander was also a member of a state title winning 4x100 meter relay team on the track last spring.