Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith died at the age of 20, the university announced on Monday, June 8.
“Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him,” Kentucky 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.”
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Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton told The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, university police received a call at 10:03 a.m. on Monday, reporting a student had been found dead in a residence hall. The University of Kentucky Police Department and the Lexington-Fayette County Coroner have launched a joint investigation into Smith’s death.
USA TODAY Sports has reached out to the University of Kentucky and police for more information.
A redshirt freshmen from Loganville, Georgia, Smith was a three-star recruit in the 2025 class after playing at Walnut Grove High School, according to 247Sports. He chose the Wildcats over Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern. Smith didn’t play during the 2025 season and was entering his second year in Lexington as part of the community leadership and development program in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
He was nicknamed “Happy” and “Big Happ,” and his dream job was to start a food business, according to his bio on the athletic website.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky football player Nic Smith dies at age 20; police investigate
