Notre Dame recruit Matt James dies after fall from hotel balcony

Notre Dame recruit Matt James dies after fall from hotel balcony:
Notre Dame football recruit Matt James reportedly died while on vacation in Panama City, Fla. According to a story from the Cincinnati Enquirer, James fell from third floor of a balcony and died almost immediately.

James, who was one week shy of his 18th birthday, was a star offensive tackle at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati and considered one of the best players in the country. A first-team selection by USA TODAY's All-USA team, he had to enroll at Notre Dame in June.

Luke Massa, St. Xavier's senior quarterback last fall along with a fellow Notre Dame recruit, was with James in Florida. Massa was not injured in the incident.

"Luke is devastated," Massa's father, Gary, said late Friday. "He lost one of his best friends."

Added Mass of James: "This guy was a big kid, I can tell."

When reached for comment Friday by Blue & Gold.com, St. Xavier football coach Steve Specht said: "I just can not do now."