Nigel Nelson LB 6-0, 210 lbs Pensacola Catholic, HS Pensacola, FL The FAU Football 2025 class certainly isn’t sputtering out of the gate, and is active once again with Pensacola Catholic running back / linebacker Nigel Nelson announcing his pledge to Coach Tom Herman and staff. “I chose the Owls because of the love that was shown to me when I went down there on an unofficial visit – it felt great! Loved the weather, staff, and facilities,” Nelson said. “FAU is building something great and once I heard everything it was an no brainer for me and my family to make the decision.” A two way player for Pensacola Catholic which often saw him taking direct snaps in the wildcat formation, Nelson racked up 1,371 yards on 180 carries with 25 touchdowns. Defensively, he netted 54 total tackles, with five of those coming for loss, and five picks. That showing earned Nelson the Pensacola News Journal’s annual Area Most Valuable Player award. But Nelson will suit up at linebacker for Coach Roc Bellantoni, who has nabbed his second talented 2nd level player in as many days. Florida Atlantic originally upped their interest to an offer back on August 10, 2023 and needed just five months to cultivate the relationship towards landing a pledge from the panhandle standout to head south to Boca Raton. And that nod for the Owls doesn’t come without formidable competition, as Nelson has seen interest from a plethora of programs while landing offers from fellow American programs Army and East Carolina, as well as Liberty and Coastal Carolina of Conference USA, amongst others. “Me and my family put in consideration about schools like Liberty, ECU, and Army, but the amount of love at FAU outweighed them all,” Nelson said. Nelson is the second member of the Owls’ 2025 class, and also the second linebacker, joining Seth Chestnut. Nelson’s junior season highlights for the Crusaders can be viewed below:
