According to Luke Matheson of Deltaplex News in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, which first reported the news, Mallett died after drowning in the Destin, Florida area. KHTV in Little Rock reportedly confirmed this via White Hall's assistant principal.
The NFL posted a message on its offical Twitter account shortly after, stating "The NFL family is deeply saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones." The Texans retweeted this post, adding "our thoughts and prayers are with the Mallett family."
A graduate of Texas High in Texarkana, Mallett blossomed into a star at the University of Arkansas—where he was a two-time second-team All-SEC selection—after starting his college career at Michigan.