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Riley Nicholson | Through the Years
Riley Nicholson, linebacker, 2015, Kissimmee Osceola (CHRIS HAYS/ORLANDO SENTINEL)
Riley Nicholson had not received a scholarship offer since mid-summer, so he was getting a bit anxious.
South Alabama offered in July, joining Minnesota, the only other school to offer the 2015 Kissimmee Osceola linebacker, who was named first-team Class 7A All-State on Monday.
Nicholson received his third scholarship offer from Southern Mississippi on Tuesday.
“Yeah, I thought there was never going to be another one,” laughed Nicholson, who is the No. 10-ranked player in the Sentinel’s 2015 Central Florida Super60. “It feels really good. I felt a big sigh of relief … like a big weight lifted off my shoulders.
“I wasn’t really expecting to be offered today … or anytime soon.”
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder is coming off a tremendous season during which he helped the Kowboys make it to the Class 7A state semifinals for the second straight season. Last year he had to sit out the playoff run with a broken collarbone.
Nicholson and fellow linebacker, senior Mikeice ‘Pooh’ Adams, were instrumental parts of a defense that was quite stingy for most of the season. Both Nicholson and Adams averaged about nine tackles a game.
Being named all-state on Monday came as quite a surprise for Nicholson.
“That was pretty exciting,” Nicholson said. “It was one of my goals that I set before the season and I accomplished it so I’m pretty happy with that.”
It’s difficult for Nicholson and Adams to get a lot of individual attention with both playing in the same linebacker unit. Adams still has just one offer from FAU and that offer may be fluid with the FAU coaching staff having been completely overhauled with the hiring .
Nicholson said playing with Adams does make each player better.
“We both push each other just to get better and to see who can get the most tackles and whatever,” Nicholson said.
Southern Miss’ director of high school relations Dayne Brown had the luxury of having previous knowledge of Nicholson. Brown was the head coach at Harmony High, leaving for Southern Miss a year before Nicholson’s freshman season at Harmony. Nicholson transferred to Osceola High for his sophomore year.
“Coach Brown sent me a message on Facebook to call him and he got me on the phone with the defensive coordinator and some others and he just offered me from there,” Nicholson said of the Eagles defensive coordinator/linebackers coach David Duggan. “I’m supposed to talk to the head coach [Todd Monken] later tonight.”
Duggan had good things to say about what they coaching staff likes about Nicholson.
“He said they like the way I play and that he likes how versatile I am, that I can play both outside and middle linebacker and cover passes,” said Nicholson, who has played outside backer his first two years at Osceola. “I’ll probably be switching to middle linebacker next year and in college that’s what everybody says I’ll be playing. “
Nicholson is ranked as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com and is the No. 30 outside linebacker in the country according to the 247 composite rankings, and the No. 70 overall prospect in the state of Florida.
Riley Nicholson @Rileynicholson5
