If the Ramsey departure felt like a developmental shrug, Nasir Addison leaving hits with a little more weight. Kentucky is losing another defensive back to the transfer portal, and this time it isn’t a forgotten depth piece, it’s a corner whose role finally started to make sense down the stretch.
Addison announced he’s heading to the portal once it officially opens on January 2, and he did it with a thank you note to Big Blue Nation that actually felt human:
“To the Kentucky fans, thank you for the support, the energy, and the belief you showed every time I stepped on the field.”
Not a burn. Not a subtweet. Just a guy who knows his chapter here is done.
It still stings.
Because this is the part of a transition that hurts more than fans want to admit, the players who could have helped the next era but don’t want to wait around to see if they fit.
Nasir Addison's exit isn’t about talent, it’s about context
Addison was a three-star recruit who chose Kentucky over Maryland, Duke, Cincinnati, Boston College and others. He committed when Brad White and Scott Woodward were selling a defense built on results and identity.
Both of those coaches are now gone.
Mark Stoops is gone.
There’s a new language to learn.
A new culture.
A new scoreboard of expectations.
So when people ask, “Why is he leaving if he was finally playing more?”
The answer is boring but real: the program he signed with doesn’t exist anymore.
This isn’t a case of a player running from competition. It’s a player deciding he wants his next system to start immediately, not after a spring camp audition.
Kentucky football's secondary depth chart just got shakier
Addison logged snaps this season, and once DJ Waller went down, his opportunities expanded. He looked like someone on the edge of becoming a rotational piece, not a star, not a savior, but a guy you didn’t mind seeing trot onto the field.
His departure makes him the fifth portal announcement since Will Stein took over, joining Ramsey, Watson, Soles Jr., and Saunders.
This one feels less like pruning, more like a reminder of the stakes.
Kentucky wasn’t just thin at corner in 2024. They were brittle. If a starting CB rolled an ankle on a Wednesday, BBN spent the week staring into the abyss like a horror movie character holding a flashlight with 2% battery.
Addison leaving doesn’t create that problem, it exposes it.
Again.
Kentucky DB Nasir Addison has entered the NCAA transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) December 30, 2025
Addison appeared in 20 games over three seasons at UK, totaling 28 tackles. In 2024, he played in all 12 games and recorded nine tackles and his first career pass breakup,… pic.twitter.com/w1QY2MbkDg
We wish him the best.