Prayers are pouring in after three college football players have tragically been found dead.
The college football season is a little more than a month over at this point. Indiana topped Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game. The 2026 season is about seven months away at this point.
But while the offseason is pushing forward, three college football programs are mourning the sudden losses of three players.
© Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
A veteran college football kicker, Danny Duray, was pronounced dead at 20 years old on Thursday. He was found dead on Wednesday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that one of our student-athletes passed away,” said Southeast Missouri State AD Brady Barke. “This is a heartbreaking loss for our department, our campus community, and especially for those who knew and cared for him closely. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Duray family.”
Tragically, it's the third college football death of the offseason.
Iowa Central Community College lineman Ethan Walker was found dead on vacation. He was just 20 years old. He was on vacation with his girlfriend and his girlfriend's family when he passed away suddenly.
"On January 4, 2026, our world was shattered when Ethan Walker, just 20 years old, passed away unexpectedly from a sudden medical event while on vacation in Orlando, Florida," his family announced.
"Ethan was a giant in every sense—a 6’5”, 310-lb offensive lineman for the Iowa Central Tritons, working toward a goal of playing major college football. But as much as he was known for his strength on the field, he was defined by his giant heart for his family, his friends, his faith, and his community. While his mother Sara, stepfather Jeff, and older brother Jordan remain in Florida to navigate the agonizing process of bringing him home, his father John, his younger brother Luke, and his grandparents Jack and Jackie Morrison wait in Iowa with heavy hearts to say their final goodbyes."
Elsewhere, in Tennessee, college football player Izaiah Taylor was found dead in a house fire.
“There was no hesitation in going in and searching for the victim,” DeKalb County (Ga.) Fire Captain Jaeson Daniels said, via Fox 5.
“We got here, and we were able to establish a water supply. And again, receiving that information from one of the nearby residents stating that there was some water inside, we actually went right in and performed a search and luckily found him pretty quick, but unfortunately he was deceased, once we found him.”
Prayers are pouring in for the three families
"Such tragic news," one fan wrote.
"Horrific news," another added.
"Can't believe this. Praying for all three families," one fan added.
"Such a tragic story. Will be thinking of all three victims tonight," one fan added.
Our thoughts are with the friends and family members of all three college football players.