Kentucky football player Nic Smith has died. The university confirmed his death in a post published on the football program’s official website. He was 20 years old.
“Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him,” UK football head coach Will Stein said in a statement. “This is a tremendous loss for our program and university community. We will continue to support one another and honor his memory.”
Reached via email Monday evening, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton told The Courier Journal the UK Police Department received a call at 10:03 a.m. Monday reporting a student had been found dead in a residence hall. The UK Police Department and the Lexington-Fayette County Coroner have launched a joint investigation into Smith’s death.
“The initial investigation indicates no foul play was involved,” Blanton wrote.
Smith was going to be a redshirt freshman defensive lineman on the Wildcats’ 2026 roster. He did not appear in any games while redshirting last season.
The Augusta, Georgia, native was a consensus three-star prospect in Kentucky’s 2025 signing class.
Smith starred at Walnut Grove High in Loganville, Georgia. During his senior season with the Warriors, he tallied 40 tackles (11 for loss) to go along with two sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. As a junior, Smith had 58 tackles (8.0 for loss), four sacks and eight quarterback hurries while forcing and recovering a pair of fumbles.
Smith, who went by the nickname “Happy,” was majoring in the community leadership and development program in UK’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
He is survived by his parents (Spencer and Kisha Smith and Genedra Smalls) and siblings (Jackson Roundtree, Killik Smith, Arkeion Smith, Nedra Roundtree, Valencia Murray and Ariana Smith).
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football player Nic Smith dies at age 20
Reporting by Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal / Louisville Courier Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal | USA TODAY Network
