Kyren Lacy had the world at his feet at the conclusion of LSU’s 2024 season. The team itself had a substandard year, but Lacy starred on the perimeter. This was his 2nd straight season as a starting wide receiver for the Tigers and his first as WR1. His performances, which culminated in 866 receiving yards and 9 trips to the endzone, earned him the aforementioned All-SEC honors. Lacy’s eminence had permeated over to NFL circles, too. When he declared for the ‘25 draft, he was graded as one of the very best players in his position group. A potential Day 1 pick if the chips fell in his favor. But begrudgingly, Lacy is not making it to that Green Room. 

Some very sombre news has shaken the football sphere, with tremors reverberating across both the pro and collegiate levels. Former LSU star wideout Kyren Lacy passed away on the night of April 12th. A second-team All-SEC selection in 2024, Lacy was gearing to be a first-round NFL Draft pick mere months ago. It’s chilling how quickly things can change. The reason for Kyren Lacy’s passing has become clear in the aftermath of this shocking revelation.

Former varsity hooper Rontrell Sandolph wrote a heartfelt message in tribute to Kyren Lacy, alongside a collection of pictures and videos. The intimate nature of which goes to show how tight the pair was. “I’m so lost for words. [I’m] speechless. I went to sleep 4 times and woke up to see if that was a dream when Mrs. Kandace called me,” read an excerpt from Sandolph’s IG post. “Why would u leave me bro?…I’ll never be good on this earth again!!💔😭💔💔. We promised we had each other through it all & we did but 2 why!!?? IF NOBODY WAS HERE FOR YOU, RONTRELL IS & yk this Bro!!!!!!” he proceeded. “2” of course refers to Kyren Lacy’s jersey number at LSU. It’s this part of the long-winded, emotional caption that implies Lacy did indeed take his life.

Back on December 17th, Kyren Lacy was involved in a head-on car collision. Unfortunately, it caused the death of 78-year-old former Marine Herman Hall. In the backwash of this incident, records indicate Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle. Kyren Lacy was deemed to have fled the scene of the crime “without stopping to render aid, call emergency services, or report his involvement in the crash.” Lacy turned himself in on January 13th and was subsequently arrested. He was later released on a $151,000 bail. Three months on from this ordeal, Kyren Lacy has allegedly taken his own life. 

According to WAFB-TV, evidence in the hit-and-run case was going to be presented in front of a grand jury on April 14th, a day after this tragedy. The timeline of events preceding this untoward and drastic alleged action is really unfortunate. The nature and timing of the case had diminished Kyren Lacy’s chances of being drafted into the NFL.

Alas, a gush of messages are flowing in for LSU fans and football fans in general as they pay homage to an athlete who left an imprint on the game. It’ll be extremely difficult, but hopefully, his loved ones can find solace in the love and flowers Lacy’s receiving. May his soul rest in peace.

Kyren Lacy was destined for stardom in the NFL

6’2, 213lb Kyren Lacy was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school. He was ranked the 51st best receiver in his class and 12th in his native Louisiana by 247Sports. The ranking checked out in hindsight. 4 stars indicate he was meant to be an NFL pro, which he would’ve been if things didn’t transpire the way they have. Lacy initially enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to play for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He was a feature from the outset, playing decent minutes as a true freshman. After impressing through his sophomore year, Lacy moved to the grander in-state school in Baton Rouge.

His time with LSU saw him take things up a notch. Both in productivity and in his general game. He progressed from the bench to WR3 behind stars Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. to WR1. Lacy ended his College Football career with an impressive 31 starts, in which he put up 2360 yards and 26 TDs.  The natural progression was him turning pro, but football’s been snatched from the opportunity. LSU or Kyren Lacy’s camp has yet to make an official statement on the reason for his passing.