Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesClass of 2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football recruit Dion Stutts died Tuesday in an apparent ATV accident at age 18. The school released a statement announcing his death:
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According to CBS Sports' Will Backus, Memphis University School football coach and athletic director Bobby Alston told Wynston Wilcox of the Commercial Appeal that Stutts was on his family farm in Batesville, Mississippi, when the accident occurred. He was scheduled to take an official visit to Arkansas the weekend of June 23.
"Our hearts are broken for the family," Alston said. "Dion was such a great young man. He had a smile that warmed your heart when you had a chance to be around him."
A 6'3", 250-pound defensive lineman, Stutts was a 3-star recruit and ranked as the 18th-best player in the state of Tennessee and No. 65 player at his position, per 247Sports' composite list. He officially made his commitment to the Razorbacks on March 11 over offers from Louisville, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and South Carolina, among others.
As a junior for MUS this past season, Stutts recorded 30 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss to establish himself as one of the best defensive linemen in the Memphis area. He also competed on the school's wrestling team.
"We're going to miss that smile, miss that wonderful personality and we're just praying for his family right now," Alston said.
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