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Former Ohio State Champ Dead at 30 Years Old

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan D Adams | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 10:08 AM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes received tragic news in recent days. A member of the team's 2014 national championship team has passed away.

Former Ohio State defensive tackle Donovan Munger died at the age of 30. Munger's mother Deidra Sanders announced the news on Instagram.

"My heart will never beat the same," Sanders revealed in a Feb. 20, Instagram post. "It is with my deepest sadness that I formally announce to the world the passing of my eldest child Donovan Munger. Pray for my family. "

Munger played in 10 games during Ohio State's title run in 2014. The defensive tackle also appeared in 11 contests during the 2015 season.

The family announced a Celebration of Life service for Munger this Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. According to On3.com's Thomas Goldkamp, Munger retired from college football in 2016 after blood clots were discovered.

Former Ohio State defensive lineman Donovan Munger, who was on the 2014 National Championship team, has passed away at the age of 30.

May his memory be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/VkEJpRGc5J
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) February 20, 2025

Coming out of Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Munger was a four-star recruit in the 2013 class. Munger was 247Sports' No. 25 rated defensive tackle in the country prior to joining Ohio State.

"Munger had been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, which forced him to redshirt his first year and eventually led to him having to step away from the sport after the 2015 season," New York Post's Christian Arnold wrote on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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