The University of Kentucky is mourning the loss of one of its football players, Nic “Happy” Smith. The program announced Smith’s passing on Monday.

Statement from the University

UK released a statement on Smith’s passing: “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.”

Head coach Will Stein also released a statement mourning the loss of Smith: “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.”

A cause of death has not been released. Smith, who was from Loganville, Georgia, was heading into his sophomore season with the Wildcats. He redshirted his freshman year in 2025.

Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.