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Khyree Jackson, a cornerback rookie drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in April, was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning alongside former college football players Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, state police confirmed in a statement.
Jackson, 24, and Hazel, 23, were pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived at the scene around 3:14 a.m. Lytton, 24, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police said the three were traveling together in a Dodge Charger when another driver tried to change lanes “at a high rate of speed” and struck their car. Investigators believe alcohol “may have been a contributing circumstance in the crash.”
Hazel, who played college football for the Maryland 49ers and Charlotte Terrapins, and Lytton, who played for Florida State and Penn State, were both high school teammates of Jackson’s, per ESPN.
“We are devastated by the news of Khyree Jackson’s death following an overnight car accident,” the Vikings shared on X, formerly Twitter. “Our thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches, as well as all the victims of this tragic accident.”
Jackson played his final season of college football at the University of Oregon and joined the Vikings as a fourth-round draft pick.
Wesley Hitt via Getty Images
“I am absolutely crushed by this news,” wrote Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell on X. “Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately drew his teammates to him … I am at a loss for words.”
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shared in a separate statement that he’s “heartbroken by the loss,” and said the young athlete had been “taking steps to become the best version of himself.”
Jackson’s former head coach in Oregon, Dan Lanning, is “at a loss for words.”
“I will miss your smile,” he wrote in his tribute on X. “Great player better person.”