Film Don't Lie | Jack Nickel
Notre Dame went from slow to rolling in recruiting in less than a week. That’s how it usually works. Commitments can come in bunches and they have for the Irish.
The latest is 2022 tight end Jack Nickel, yet another very good prospect at a position. The tight end room is stacked and will likely always be for the program, but it’s a nice pickup for new position coach John McNulty regardless of that.
Nickel is someone who has the tools to develop into a complete tight end in blue and gold.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 227
Projected Position: Tight end
ISD Grade: 90 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 88.5 (3-star)
What he does best:
Nickel already has good size and moves well at that size. He’s a threat after the catch with his agility to make a defender miss like he does here.
Or be a tackle breaker who maximizes yardage like here.
He’s a natural hands catcher and that helps him win in traffic. All tight ends are going to have to do work over the middle of the field and Nickel can succeed there.
He shows an edge as a blocker. I love his effort and he wants to be a finisher. Everything I see from him on film makes me believe he wants to be a great blocker and that matters a lot.
What he needs to improve:
The potential is certainly there for him as a blocker, but he isn’t working in-line a lot and that is where I see him eventually growing into at Notre Dame. He needs to be able to move people at the point of attack.
Can he be someone who wins above the rim? I can’t say he’s not capable of winning contested catches or jump ball situations, but that wasn’t evident from his sophomore film.
What’s his ceiling?
The new ideal at tight end in football is George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers. He has the size and blocking ability of an in-line Y, but has H-back athleticism. He’s great in all facets of the game and is a dominant player after the catch.
It’s premature to project Nickel to be like Kittle, but the reason why I view Nickel as an exciting prospect is that he has the potential to grow into that kind of in-line Y while having plus athleticism. He is going to be fun to watch over the next two years because I believe he is only scratching the surface of the player he is going to become.
Much like every Notre Dame tight end they land, Nickel has NFL potential if he can separate himself from the rest of talented players in the tight end room.
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