Sam Houston announced Sunday night that defensive back Will Davis had died.
Davis transferred to Sam Houston ahead of the 2026 season after spending the 2025 season at West Virginia. The school did not disclose a cause of death in its announcement of Davis’ “sudden passing.”
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis,” Bearkats coach Phil Longo said in a statement. “Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew. Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed. [Wife] Tanya, the kids and I are praying for Will’s family during this difficult time.”
Before joining West Virginia, Davis spent the first five seasons of his college career at Division II Virginia Union. This season was set to be his final one of eligibility because of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and a redshirt season in 2021.
Davis appeared on one game for the Mountaineers in 2025. Two seasons ago, he had 56 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss at Virginia Union. He appeared in 36 games across three seasons at Virginia Union and had 115 total tackles. In a social media post from his NIL agency when he committed to Sam Houston during the offseason, Davis explained why he had picked Sam Houston for the upcoming season.
“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” Davis said. “As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically. The ability to play for [defensive backs coach] Davonte Edwards, someone with experience playing in the NFL that can show me the blueprint of what it looks like to become the type of player who can achieve success at that highest level, was a motivating factor for me as well.”
