Marcellus Young Casario, a top Canadian college football recruit, passed away suddenly on Friday evening, according to multiple media reports. He was only 17 years old.
A native of Halifax, N.S., Young Casario was attending Rabun Gap Nacoochee, a prep school on the border between North Carolina and Georgia. A consensus three-star recruit, he had committed to the University of Georgia in June.
In a statement, Rabun Gap’s head of school, Bob Ahrens, confirmed that a student had passed away after a medical incident. He did not mention Young Casario by name, stating that no additional details would be released at this time out of respect for his family.
A six-foot-six, 260-pound pass rusher, Young Casario began playing eight-man football around Halifax and played for Football Nova Scotia. He moved to St. Andrew’s College in Ontario at age 14, before transferring south of the border to attend Rabun Gap as a high school junior.
St. Andrew’s College confirmed the passing on social media, calling Young Casario a “young man with a big heart and a passion for football…you will be missed and never forgotten.”
Young Casario received 22 NCAA Division I offers during his time at Rabun Gap, including Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Penn State, and North Carolina. After committing, he was slated to begin playing for the Bulldogs in 2027.
This article will be updated if more information becomes available.