Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith has died at the age of 20, the school announced on Monday. Smith was entering his redshirt freshman season with the Wildcats after signing as a member of the 2025 recruiting class.
No cause of death was provided.
"Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic's family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him. This is a tremendous loss for our program and university community. We will continue to support one another and honor his memory," Kentucky coach Will Stein said in a statement.
Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him.
— Will Stein (@CoachWillStein) June 8, 2026
This is a tremendous loss for our program and university community. We will continue to support one another and honor his memory. pic.twitter.com/Eaz5AIxyU2
Smith hailed from Loganville, Georgia, where he shone as a football and basketball player for Walnut Grove High School. As a senior, he amassed 11.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. Smith was a three-star recruit with scholarship offers from several programs across the Southeast. He ultimately chose Kentucky over Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern. Last fall, Smith redshirted as a true freshman.
According to the official Kentucky website, Smith's nickname was "Happy," and the three words that best described him were "happy," "friendly," and "nice." In addition to football, Smith had a passion for cooking and wanted to start a food business.
