Kentucky football player Nic Smith has tragically passed away.
Head coach Will Stein announced Smith’s death this afternoon.
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. pic.twitter.com/Eaz5AIxyU2
— Will Stein (@CoachWillStein) June 8, 2026
UK Athletics put out the following release about Smith:
Our community has suffered a tragic loss with the death of one of our students, Nic Smith. Nic was a sophomore in the Community Leadership and Development program in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and one of our student athletes on the UK Football team.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and teammates. We ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.
We want to remind members of our community that you do not have to navigate this loss alone, and that support resources are available through the Office for Student Success.
“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,” said UK Football Head Coach Will Stein.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Smith family, friends, teammates and coaches.
