Former Ohio State Offensive Lineman Ben Christman Dies At Age 21
Image courtesy of UNLV athletics
Former Ohio State offensive lineman Ben Christman, who recently transferred to UNLV after two seasons at Kentucky, was found dead at his off-campus apartment on Tuesday morning, the university announced on Wednesday. He was 21.
The university said it did not have any other details to share at the moment that a cause of death would be determined by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.
“Our team’s heart is broken to hear of Ben’s passing,” UNLV coach Dan Mullen said in a statement. “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.”
Christman, an Akron native and Richfield (Ohio) Reserve high school graduate, started his college career at Ohio State in 2021, entering the program as the No. 6 player out of Ohio and the No. 124 player overall in the class. He was named first-team all-district and was also selected to Cleveland.com’s All-Decade team while in high school.
The former four-star redshirted his freshman season at Ohio State and played just one game with the Buckeyes in 2022 before transferring to Kentucky. Despite the short time with the program, he appeared to make a significant impact in the locker room, with several of his former teammates — such as former wide receiver Julian Fleming, linebacker Teradja Mitchell and running back Miyan Williams — taking to social media to offer their condolences.
“The members of the Ohio State football program are saddened to learn of the passing of Ben Christman, a member of our team in 2021 and 2022,” Ohio State said in a statement released on its official Twitter account on Wednesday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who knew Ben well.”
Christman played two seasons with the Wildcats, missing the entire 2023 campaign due to a knee injury and then seeing action in all 12 games this past season on special teams. He transferred to UNLV in December and was gearing up to play his fifth collegiate season with the Running Rebels. He had two more years of collegiate eligibility left.
“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,” UNLV president Keith Whitfield said in a statement. “On behalf of UNLV, our sincere condolences are with Ben’s family, friends, loved ones, and teammates during this very difficult time.”