Letter of intent No. 2: Linebacker Riley Nicholson
Linebacker
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Kissimmee (Fla.) Kissimmee High
6-foot-0, 222 pounds
Measurables:
• At a Nike combine ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.38 seconds, registered a 31.8-inch vertical leap and had a 36.0-foot power throw.
Stats:
• Senior: Posted 132 tackles, including 70 solo, 17 for loss and a sack, nine passes defended and four forced fumbles.
• Junior: Recorded 100 tackles (58 solo), including 26 for loss and two sacks, defended four passes, forced six fumbles and recovered one.
• Sophomore: Had 56 tackles (16 solo), including two for loss, and a pass defended.
Ratings:
• Rivals.com: Three stars.
• Scout.com: Three stars, No. 63 middle linebacker in the country.
• 247Sports: Three stars, No. 68 outside linebacker in the country, No. 125 in the state.
• ESPN: Three stars, No. 25 inside linebacker in the country, No. 119 in the state.
• National Underclassmen: No. 77 in the state.
• Orlando Sentinel: No. 6 prospect in Central Florida, No. 50 in the state.
Honors/accomplishments:
• Named the Central Florida Defensive Player of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel.
• Selected to the 7-A Associated Press All-State first-team as both a junior and senior.
• Helped team reach the 7-A state title game as a senior.
Recruitment:
• Picked up offers from Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue, Syracuse, UCF, Wake Forest and West Virginia among others.
• Narrowed list to three finalists of Central Florida, NC State and West Virginia before committing to the Pack on July 18.
• Enrolled early.
Recruiter of record:
• Linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable
Quotable:
"This kid is a gamer. A four-year player who could be a foundation of a strong linebacker unit." - Orlando Sentinel recruiting coverage coordinator Chris Hays.
Scouting report:
• Noted for being a hard-hitter, as evidenced by his 10 forced fumbles over the past two seasons.
• Reputed to be a good tackler.
• Good instincts for a linebacker.
2015 projection:
With the switch to a 4-2-5 defense, there is less reliance on linebackers than the previous base 4-3 defense. However, the Pack loses two of the four players that played the position last season in Rodman Noel and Brandon Pittman. That opens the door for Nicholson, who enrolled early, to potentially sneak his way onto the depth chart, although he will have to contend against some returning veterans for those spots.