All three men played for coach DaLawn Parrish and won multiple state championships as Parrish built a dynasty at Wise, winning 43 straight games and three state titles from 2015-18. When Parrish resigned in January after winning six titles, Jackson, Lytton and Hazel all showed up at a surprise party for the departing coach, Parrish said Saturday.
“These are exceptional young men,” Parrish said. “They work hard, they care. They’ll always be a part of my life. Like they told me, I helped them grow, these young men helped me grow as a coach and as a man. I’ll always miss them, I’ll always love them, and at least I’m glad they’re together at the end.”
“I am absolutely devastated by this news,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Khyree brought an infectious energy to our school and team… My thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches.”
The crash happened around 3:14 a.m. on northbound Route 4 near Presidential Parkway. The three men were traveling in a Dodge Charger driven by Hazel when the Charger and another car were struck by an Infiniti Q50 that was changing lanes at a high rate of speed, police said.
The Charger left Route 4 and struck several tree stumps before coming to a stop, police said. Police declined to say whether the three people were wearing seat belts. The driver of the Infiniti, identified by police as an Upper Marlboro woman, and her two passengers were not injured. The driver of the other car was also not injured.
Jackson and Hazel were pronounced dead at the scene and Lytton was taken to hospital where he later died.
State police said investigators believe alcohol may have contributed to the crash. No charges were filed Saturday.
Lytton played college football at Florida State University and Penn State, and Hazel played at the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Jackson had a more circuitous college career, playing at two smaller universities and taking a year off from football.
In a video on X, Jackson talked about his job in the deli section of a Harris Teeter grocery store, saying he won an “employee of the month” award and that he “didn’t really think about football.” Jackson said he tried to go pro by playing the video game NBA 2K, and “for a little second, football kind of became a blur, I would say for sure.”
Jackson was asked why he returned to football and he replied, “Two of my close friends were four- and five-star recruits,” Jackson said, “They were both D-1. They motivated me.”
Jackson returned to football and eventually enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he played cornerback for two seasons and started in the national championship game. He transferred to the University of Oregon for his senior year and ended up being the 108th overall pick in the draft.
In an Instagram post in April, just two days before the NFL Draft, Jackson wrote: “Watching Zayy and AJ (Hazel and Lytton) go to D1 has been my biggest inspiration, they have inspired me to be better, I can’t thank them enough.”
At Wise, all three players were two-way stars, bringing strengths on both offense and defense. They contributed to a 43-game winning streak for the Prince George’s County program that spanned multiple seasons and included three straight state titles.
Lytton was named All-Met Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 after spending his senior season as the anchor of a dominant defense. He began his college career at Florida State and played two seasons there before transferring to Penn State. His family could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hazel, another standout at receiver and cornerback, went to the University of Maryland. He had switched commitments to West Virginia, giving his hometown Terps more momentum with local recruits. He played four seasons there before transferring to UNC-Charlotte for his final year of eligibility, where he started eight games and finished sixth on the team in tackles.
“He was a good young man and he’s going to heaven,” said Hazel’s grandmother, Edith S. Hazel. She said Hazel graduated with honors from the University of Maryland in 2022 but was determined to play professional football even after going undrafted. He was the youngest of three children, and his older brother is a police officer in Prince George’s, his grandmother said.
Jackson began his high school career at Springbrook High in Silver Spring before transferring to Wise midway through his sophomore year. A broken collarbone cost Jackson his junior season with the Pumas and derailed his recruiting hopes.
“I couldn’t dwell on the situation,” Jackson told The Washington Post in 2016. “I just had to come back better.”
He had a solid senior season as a wide receiver, totaling 39 receptions for 612 yards and 12 touchdowns while also playing defensive back.
Despite those numbers, Jackson attracted little interest from colleges. He took a year off before enrolling at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He then moved up the college ladder, transferring to the University of Alabama and then the University of Oregon. In Eugene, he established himself as a defensive star and a sure-fire NFL draft prospect.
Jackson’s coach at the University of Oregon, Dan Lanning, wrote on X: “RIP Khyree… I love you, I’m at a loss for words. I’ll miss your smile. A great player, a better person.”
“In our short time together,” Vikings coach O’Connell wrote on X, “it was obvious that Khyree was going to be a tremendous professional football player, but what was most impressive was his desire to be the best person he could be for his family and those around him. I am at a loss for words.”