Utah State’s Andre Seldon Jr. Dies of Apparent Drowning After Cliff Diving

“Our football program is devastated by the loss of one of our own,” interim coach Nate Dreiling said in a statement shared by the school.

Seldon, a 22-year-old defensive back, recently transferred to Utah State after two seasons at New Mexico State. He began his college career with two seasons at Michigan, where he was a highly regarded recruit playing in his home state.

“So heartbroken by this news!” Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore, who was an assistant when Seldon played for the Wolverines in 2020 and 2021, said in a statement Sunday. message on social media. “A great young man on and off the field! My prayers are with the Seldon family and I am here to support you in any way I can! Gone way too soon!!”

The Cache County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Saturday that initial reports indicated someone was missing after diving off cliffs into the reservoir. A helicopter crew was reportedly assisting in a search and rescue mission, and the public was asked to avoid the area.

A law enforcement agency spokesperson said by email Sunday that in their initial assessment of what may have happened at the reservoir, officers “collected statements from multiple other student-athletes who were present during the accident, as well as other bystanders who were not part of the group.”

The spokesperson added that the coroner would make a factual determination of death.

“Our office will continue to investigate this matter, but to date we have no factual information that this incident is anything more than a tragic accident,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to monitor new evidence as it emerges.”

In a social media post on Sunday, the New Mexico State football program said the Aggies community was “devastated” by the news.

Seldon transferred to Utah State after playing for Dreiling when he was New Mexico State’s defensive coordinator. Dreiling took the same job at Utah State earlier this year and was named interim coach earlier this month when Blake Anderson was terminated. Anderson was fired Thursday for intervening in a possible domestic violence case following the arrest of one of his players, the Associated Press reported. By replacing Anderson, the 33-year-old Dreiling became the youngest head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

Seldon is scheduled to begin classes at Utah State this fall, the school announced Sunday.

“I had a prior relationship with Andre during our time together at New Mexico State, and I can tell you what an incredible person and teammate he was,” Dreiling said in his statement. “Our condolences and prayers go out to Andre’s family as we mourn this tremendous loss.”