UNLV announced in a statement that offensive lineman Ben Christman was found dead in an off-campus apartment Tuesday morning. Christman was 21-years-old. The university said it didn’t have other details and that a cause of death would be determined by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

UNLV president Keith Whitfield said in a statement: “There is little that can be said to lessen the pain of suddenly losing a member of our university family at such a young age, and my heart breaks for all who knew and loved him.”

Coach Dan Mullen shared: “Our team’s heart is broken to hear of Ben’s passing. Since the day Ben set foot on our campus a month ago, he made the Rebels a better program. Ben was an easy choice for our Leadership Committee as he had earned the immediate respect, admiration and friendship of all his teammates. Our prayers go out to his family and all who knew him. Ben made the world a better place and he will be missed.”

UNLV athletic director Erick Harper added: “We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Ben Christman, a new member of our football program and UNLV community. Ben recently joined us as a transfer student and had already made a meaningful impact on his teammates and coaches. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this extremely difficult time.”

Originally from Akron, Ohio, Christman played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Kentucky (where he sat out 2023 due to a knee injury and played mostly on special teams as a junior in 2024).

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