Utah running back Ty Jordan, the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, has died.
Multiple reports said Jordan, 19, was killed in an accidental shooting in Denton, Texas. The school confirmed his passing on Saturday.
Denton police told ESPN that officers responded to a call about a shooting at 10:38 p.m. Friday. They attempted life-saving measures on the victim, who had been shot once, before he was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
“Following a preliminary investigation, we do believe that this was an accidental shooting, where the victim accidentally shot himself,” a police spokesperson told ESPN. The department did not identify the victim.
Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham and athletic director Mark Harlan issued statements on Saturday.
“Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan,” Whittingham said. “Ty’s personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us. He leaves an indelible mark on each of us and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace.”
“We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Ty Jordan’s passing early this morning and our thoughts and prayers are with those who loved him dearly, including the young men in our football program,” Harlan said. “Our priority is on supporting his family and the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our football program who are so deeply hurting right now. Coach Whittingham and I are working closely to provide support and resources for our Utah Football family in this extremely difficult time.”
Jordan, a three-star recruit from Mesquite, Texas, finished the season with 597 rushing yards on just 83 carries in five games for the Utes (3-2). He averaged 7.2 yards per carry and 119.4 per game.
The second-team All-Pac-12 selection was the first Utah freshman since 1995 to register three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
