Film Don't Lie | Nolan Ziegler
It had been more than a minute for Clark Lea landing a linebacker commit before Prince Kollie pledged to the Irish. It didn’t take nearly as long for Lea to follow that up with a Rover prospect in the 2022 class.
Nolan Ziegler is the exact type of athlete and body type that Notre Dame is always looking for. He’s long, can run really well, and is going to be even better once he fills out his frame.
More than just a nice story as a legacy, this is a great pick up for the Irish.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 205
Projected Position: Rover
ISD Grade: 90 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 88.3 (3-star)
What he does best:
If he’s being looked at as a safety, he would be a classic tweener. In today’s football he is a great fit as a Rover in Notre Dame’s scheme with the potential to kick inside and play inside linebacker.
He attacks downhill as a run defender. He’s a wrap tackler who arrives with speed to the football.
He plays like that because he trusts what he is seeing out on the field. He has very good instincts and some might like to say that the ball seems to find him. Funny how that happens with most of the good ones for a reason. He knows where he is supposed to be, like on this drop, and is ready for his opportunity when it comes.
He might have played safety, but as an additional defender in the box, he’s pretty much an off the ball linebacker. Ziegler can cover a lot of ground wherever he is lined up because he runs so well. You can see it on special teams especially on plays to the perimeter like this where he outruns the block despite being out-leveraged.
He’s a playmaker. Some of that can be taught in terms of working on causing turnovers, but some kids have “it”. Ziegler is one of them.
What he needs to improve:
In the couple of instances where you see him have to take on offensive lineman, you can tell he doesn’t look that comfortable. In general he needs to have more strike with his hands to better defeat blocks.
He plays fast, but I wouldn’t say he plays strong. He’s skinny right now and though he has the frame to get much bigger, it’s obvious he needs to grow into his body and get stronger.
What’s his ceiling?
I really like Ziegler’s potential as a Rover and then eventually moving inside. He has the kind of speed and length that projects really well and he’s an excellent tackler in space.
Some places have him rated as a safety, but he’s clearly a linebacker at the college level and already has experience playing in an off the ball role in the box showcasing it. I love his instincts and think he can become a high-level starter for the Irish if he develops like he should over the next few years.