WVU Sends Condolences to Pitt After Death of Mason Alexander

Life is far bigger and more important than any rivalry. And to that end, the WVU released a statement on Sunday to offer condolences to Pitt after learning about the death of a player.

Pitt freshman cornerback Mason Alexander has died after an automobile accident in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana on Saturday.

“Our thoughts are with Pitt football, the Pitt community and family and friends of Mason Alexander,” said the WVU Sports account on X (formerly Twitter).

Our thoughts are with @Pitt_FB, the Pitt community & family and friends of Mason Alexander. 🙏

— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) March 2, 2025

Alexander, 18, was a passenger in a fatal crash on Florida Road, near Southeastern parkway and Interstate 69, around 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, according to a press release from the the Hamilton County (Ind.) sheriff’s office.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi released a statement of his own regarding the passing of Alexander, who was a part of the Panthers’ 2025 recruiting class.

“I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher or coach ever wants to get—the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life. Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander’s passing. Mason had just enrolled at Pitt in January following his early graduation from Indiana’s Hamilton Southeastern High School. Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us. Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family. He will always be a Panther to us. The Alexander family and Mason’s many loved ones and friends will be in our prayers,” Narduzzi said.

The HCSO said that a 2016 BMW 340 was heading south Florida Road and a 2015 Toyota Rav4 was traveling northbound. The BMW drove into the northbound land, attempting to pass a car in the southbound lane. Trying to avoid hitting the Toyota, the BMW maneuvered back in the southbound lane, but over-corrected, which resulted in the vehicle swerving off the road. Police said the BMW hit a mailbox, slid through the grass, hit a tree, and caught on fire. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene and the sheriff’s office confirmed his identity.

Alexander was a four-star cornerback recruit out of Hamilton Southeastern High School and enrolled early to the University of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh media spoke with Alexander for the first time on Wednesday, and he said his goal was to make it to the NFL.

“It’s hard to find the words to say right now,” Peyton Daniels, a high school teammate of Alexander’s, wrote on X. “Mason lit up every room he was in. Brought joy and playfulness to everything and everyone. He could change the entire direction of your day with one interaction. Mason is the embodiment of exceptional. Rest Easy 15. Love forever.”

Pitt is currently on spring break with no football-related activities scheduled for this week. A request for comment from an athletics department spokesperson was not immediately returned.

Alexander was a key piece of Pitt football’s 2025 recruiting class committing to the Panthers over other offers from Auburn, Ball State, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia State, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pitt, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Toledo, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Wisconsin.

The 5-foot-10 corner spoke on Wednesday about what led him to Pitt.

“It was definitely the coaching staff. I feel like you hear that a lot too. I was a high recruit. Pitt was my first offer, and I looked past them at first. In the long run, the coaches stuck with me. Every time they call just to check in. [Pat Narduzzi] called just to check in just to see how I was doing. That overall bond I got to build with all the coaches is definitely what hooked me in,” he said.

Alexander was looking forward to working with cornerbacks coach Archie Collins and safeties coach Cory Sanders as he set himself up with lofty goals.

“Coach Archie, coach Sanders, two DB coaches I usually hang with. Coach Bates. Coach Archie stood out to me because every time he came to see me, we would talk and we would talk about ball. He would ask me, ‘Do you want to talk about ball or do you want to talk just to talk?’ When we talked about ball, he broke everything down and the way he did it, it helped me learn it a lot fast than usually I would.

“Coach Archie and coach Sanders are basically a copy and paste of each other. Both really good coaches who put a lot of good people in the league and that’s where I want to be when I get to that point in age. That’s where my end goal is going to be. I want to be in the NFL and I want to be able to represent coach Sanders coach Archie as the best corner who could do it.”

Part of this story initially appeared on our partner site Pittsburgh Sports Now.