Former UNLV football player Ben Christman died last week in his sleep from natural causes, according to his obituary. He was found dead Feb. 11 at an off-campus residence, the school confirmed. The transfer offensive lineman from Kentucky started his college career at Ohio State before joining the Rebels in December. Christman, 21, is projected to compete for a 2025 starting role on the UNLV offensive line.
«We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Ben Christman, a new member of our football program and UNLV community,» athletic director Erick Harper shared in a statement. «Ben recently joined us as a transfer student and had already made a meaningful impact on his teammates and coaches. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this extremely difficult time. Counseling services are being provided for anyone in need.»
Visiting hours are Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Akron, Ohio. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the same location.
Christman appeared in 12 games, primarily on special teams, during his two seasons at Kentucky. He redshirted as a true freshman with the Buckeyes in 2021 before seeing his first action against Indiana in 2022.
«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 rated as a four-star prospect coming out of Richfield (Ohio) in the 2021 recruiting class. He has ranked as the No. 15 interior offensive lineman and No. 224 overall recruit nationally. Christman signed with Ohio State over additional offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin and others.
This is the second death of a UNLV football player in two years. Former Rebels defensive lineman Ryan Keeler died in February 2023 from a heart condition. Keeler was found unresponsive in his apartment in Las Vegas at the time. A spokesperson for the Clark County Coroner’s office said Keeler died of «cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is essentially fatal arrhythmia due to thickening of the heart muscle.»