Nick Nash Making Name For Himself Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

The receiving yards leader in college football plays at San Jose State University. That player is also a former high school quarterback who has scored a touchdown in every game this season and amassed 1,282 yards. 

Nick Nash has come out of nowhere and has dominated every defense he’s played, only totaling under 90 yards receiving once on the season and seeing double-digit targets nearly every game. He’s been the go-to receiver for the SJSU offense and has flourished as a big slot. 

Nash’s journey has led to this point, and he played on a big stage against Boise State over the weekend and didn’t disappoint.

He has 14 touchdowns this season and is a real mismatch in the red zone for opposing defenses. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Nash transitioned to wide receiver for the 2023 season after he realized he wouldn’t be the future starting quarterback for San Jose State. However, his athleticism as a dual-threat quarterback is being implemented and impacting the offense differently than he expected. Having the mental side of being a former quarterback helps receivers find space, read defensive leverages, and have a natural feel for what they need to do to get open. As a big slot, he’s often matched up with undersized defenders, and the San Jose State offense takes full advantage of it. 

Even though Nash’s route tree is limited, he’s willing to use his size and physicality against smaller defenders to get open when he can. Running the out route, the nickel corner doesn’t move out of the inside leveraged position, so Nash gives him a little push at the breakpoint and sends him upfield. Then he shows off some NFL sideline awareness, getting both feet down in bounds on the catch. He needs to understand the first down marker here, but that’s how you use your size advantage and the collegiate rules to get open.

He does a nice job of accelerating through his speed out routinely and using his ankle flexion to maintain his speed through the arc. Properly using physicality and hands can be spotty, but it's a mismatch when it’s against those smaller defensive backs. 

One of the underrated areas of wide receiver play is timing. He shows it on the catch, timing his footwork with the catch, but it extends to plays down the field, too.

Running a fade from the right slot, Nash is tracking this football around the 15-yard line into the end zone. He feels the defensive back around the 10 and keeps his left hand on his back to keep track of where he is without using his eyes. The signs of a smart ball-tracker are shown with hand usage, timing, and attacking the football. Nash times his jump and adjustment correctly; knowing the ball is on the back shoulder, he runs the defender into the end zone, then detaches and adjusts to make the touchdown grab. Perfect timing. 

The SJSU offense attacks downfield with the size they have at the receiver position, and when you have a body type like Nash, who plays down the field and in the low red zone like a basketball player willing to post up, why wouldn’t they? Having that natural feel for tracking the football translates to every level of football. Speaking of feel…

We’ve already mentioned how his quarterback brain helps him as a receiver, but this is applying it to the route concept and gaining yards after the catch. There’s a clear out route to the top of the screen with Nash running underneath on the out. The defender guarding him has inside leverage, so Nash knows the tackling angle he’ll be taking after the catch. He puts his feet in the ground, breaks back underneath after the catch to get upfield, and shows off a little wiggle to make another man miss on the run after. He’s not an elite athlete at the wide receiver position, but he moves well for his size.

I want Nash to improve his hand usage throughout the route to prevent defenders from getting hands-on and rerouting him. Timing and spacing in the NFL are paramount, and too often, Nash gets pushed off his route path or into someone else’s altogether. Being in the right spot at the right time is huge for NFL offenses, but there’s a learning curve for Nash, as this is his second season as a full-time receiver. Given his position, he doesn’t see much press, and I see him staying there in the NFL. Getting Nash to an all-star game where he can work with some NFL coaches and show against better cornerbacks could provide a massive off-season for him. 

Nash should be squarely on everyone’s radar at this point in the season as his eye-popping numbers pile up. He lives in the slot and the end zone for SJSU, making teams decide who they want to defend him with. It doesn’t matter. He will inevitably find his way into the end zone and make a crazy touchdown grab if he needs to. 

With his size, ball skills, and natural feel for the position coming to the forefront in 2024, watching his draft stock rise over the next few months should be no surprise. He’s a quarterback’s best friend. Keep an eye on the big man and watch as he turns heads.