Filed at 12:09 PM

College officials said they are not ruling out the possibility that the death of freshman William Jacobson could be related to a string of suspicious deaths of male college students across the country.

According to MSNBC, as many as 40 young college-age men have been found drowned in 11 different states since 1997. In each instance, a smiley face was found drawn near where the bodies were recovered. Most of the men were athletic, intelligent and well-liked.

In 1997, the first body was found in the Hudson River. One of the more recent cases in 2004 occurred at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.

Dave Maley, associate director of media relations, said the college is not ruling out any connection.

“The only thing I can say is that … police are not discounting anything,” Maley said. “They’re looking at any possibilities.”