Kentucky DB Nasir Addison withdraws his name from the transfer portal

Nasir Addison has decided to run it back for another season in Lexington.

Addison, who spent the last three seasons at Kentucky as a defensive back, has removed his name from the transfer portal and will return for his redshirt junior season with the Wildcats, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. The 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback out of Irvington, NJ, will have two years of eligibility remaining at UK under new head coach Will Stein.

After initially entering his name into the portal on Dec. 29, Addison will now look to build off the limited success he found in 2025 before his season was shut down. He appeared in just four games this past year (which netted him a redshirt) for Kentucky, logging 13 tackles along the way. Addison, who has spent plenty of time on the special teams unit at UK, will provide depth for new cornerbacks coach Allen Brown.

Considered a three-star high school recruit from the 2023 class by On3, Addison announced offers from the likes of Florida State, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, and others. He committed to Kentucky in June 2022 after being primarily recruited by former defensive coordinator Brad White. Addison doubled as a track star in high school, while also spending time at wide receiver on the gridiron.

Once he made his way to the Bluegrass, Addison saw immediate action as a true freshman. The New Jersey native appeared in eight games during the 2023 season, totaling eight tackles and one fumble recovery. He even recorded a couple of tackles in the Wildcats’ Gator Bowl win over Clemson. As a sophomore in 2024, Addison saw action in all 12 games, registering nine tackles and one pass deflection.

Addison was in and out of the depth chart this past season, though. He logged two tackles on Sept. 27 against South Carolina, but did not see the field again until recording another two tackles against Tennessee on Oct. 25. He posted a career-high five tackles the following week against Auburn before adding four more to his stat line the next week against Florida. But that was the last time he would suit up in 2025.

With Addison back in the fold, Kentucky is currently looking at having nine cornerbacks on the 2026 roster: Kevis Thomas (Sr.), Braxton Urquhart (RJr.), Terhyon Nichols (Jr.), Haasan Sykes (Jr.), Grant Grayton (So.), Demarcus Gardner (RFr.), Andrew Purcell (RFr.), and Isaiah McMillian (Fr.).