Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Nicholas “Happy” Smith has died at the age of 20, the school announced on Monday. A cause of death was not made public.
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved teammate Nic Smith. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Nic's family, friends and the members of our program. pic.twitter.com/MojbQfBMme
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— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) June 8, 2026
As a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Smith redshirted his true freshman season and was set to play for the Wildcats this year. He often went by the nickname “Happy”, which later spawned the nickname “Big Happ.”
“Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him,” Kentucky 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.”
Smith was previously a dual-sport athlete, playing both basketball and football for Walnut Grove High School in Loganville, Georgia.
After receiving interest from a number of high-profile schools, he opted to join Kentucky in 2025.
He was majoring in community leadership and development with NFL aspirations.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
