It wasn’t too long up to now that Doug Nester became belief to be 1 in all the extra excellent offensive line potentialities in all of highschool football coming from the 2019 recruiting class. The Huntington, West Virginia native became dilemma to significant person at ‘Thee’ Ohio Utter University after his standout profession at Spring Valley High College, where he became selected as an All-Utter selection three conditions total.
Listed at almost 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds coming out of Spring Valley, Nester regarded to turn out to be a staple upfront for what has been a file-atmosphere Buckeyes offense over the final diverse years. With over twenty faculties hot on the poke for his providers and products, Nester regarded to one amongst the large dogs up north to continue his athletic and tutorial profession.
At the birth committed to Ohio Utter in the summertime going into his junior year, the proficient offensive lineman held company on his commitment for a actually long time, buoying the hopes of the offensive line’s future in Columbus.
That optimism sadly did now not final.
With regards to a year and a half of into his recruitment, Nester opted to decommit from the Buckeyes, yet again checking out the water seeking his optimum fit. Among one amongst Nester’s earliest affords, Virginia Tech pulled to the forefront, sooner or later landing the abilities of this behemoth interior offensive lineman.
Taking his abilities totally one express over, Nester hasty asserted himself amongst a proficient yet inexperienced offensive front in 2019, making ten starts of the eleven games he performed as a trusty freshman. On a unit that contains 2021 NFL Draft possible first-spherical selection Christian Darrisaw, Nester became arguably the most consistent lineman on the 2019 crew, main to a Freshman All-American honor from Pro Soccer Focal level.
With a year of concord for Nester, Darrisaw, offensive guard Lecitus Smith and freshly eligible heart Brock Hoffman dilemma to stamp up for the crew, expectations were high for the Hokies offensive front. The unit did now not disappoint, paving the methodology for one amongst the extra daunted rushing offenses across the college football panorama, led by Kansas switch Khalil Herbert.
Nester yet again performed neatly on the sparkling guard place of living, the use of all of his now 330-pound physique to weigh down defenders on the level of assault. Whether or now not running energy, inner or exterior zone, he became a folks mover who consistently shifts the line of scrimmage in the offense’s desire.
For as dominant as Nester became at conditions, Virginia Tech opted for a rotation up front, leaving extensive #74 off the field too frequently. Frustration started to originate for Nester, contemplating whether or now not the Hokies were the appropriate fit long timeframe.
“There became only an absence of verbal substitute. We were continually rotating up front and there became beneath no conditions with out a doubt an solution why.”
That lack of verbal substitute ended in a call being made. In an generation where transferring has turn out to be so noteworthy less complicated and accessible to university coaches, the Transfer Portal has turn out to be extra and extra utilized by pupil-athletes to enjoy a probability for a 2d probability.
As that it’s possible you’ll imagine, there were a spread of suitors for Nester’s provider. A 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds folks mover is awfully the hot commodity on the originate market. As John Denver once stated, “Nation roads, clutch me house – To the place of living I belong!”
It hasty modified into a no-brainer.
“There enjoy been a spread of faculties who reached out. It feels noteworthy to be shut to house.”
His fatherland Mountaineers, a university sparkling in the backyard, hasty modified into the appropriate decision for Nester. Contemporary off of a 6-4 campaign for head coach Neal Brown this previous season, optimism has been constructing for West Virginia.
Making an strive relief on his experience, coach Brown with out a doubt did waste a giant affect.
“Genuinely, if he (Neal Brown) and the staff were in place of living when I became going thru recruiting, I also can honest enjoy ended up at West Virginia.”
Without reference to the avenue taken, Nester now returns house to defend out out his profession, whereas taking his sport to the following level. As they cease, “it’s now not how you commence, it’s how you function.” For opposing defenders dilemma to face Nester, their function could well well be frequently on their backs.
TURN ON THE TAPE
Even for a huge interior offensive lineman, Nester strikes neatly for his dimension, fitting soundly into Virginia Tech inner-exterior zone system that requires offensive lineman to switch laterally successfully. With ample foot quickness,
Nester is ready to be triumphant in bottom and place leverage in the bustle sport. The mean scramble then comes out for Nester. As soon as he’s ready to land his purpose, the raw energy he boasts thru his hips and fingers is ready to coil and function defenders on the floor. It is easy to note the nastiness Nester plays with on film. He has moments of being an absolute bully in the bustle sport.
This time Nester is reaching play facet on exterior zone. He yet again reveals ample foot quickness to transition laterally to earn to his procedure. Nester does job, now not handiest attending to his procedure, but getting his physique aligned successfully. With obvious vision, he’s ready to seal off drift from the inner and earn his butt pointed in direction of the outlet, rising a huge lane off his block.
Curiously ample, Nester’s dimension, energy profile and class could well well translate to an offense that employs extra energy running ideas. His success as a zone blocker is proof to his versatility, each and each showing conditions of winning off of motion and lower physique energy on the level of assault. That makes him an appealing commodity, especially at some level of his time in the switch portal.
Without reference to a high level of experience on the inner, Nester additionally has reps playing at sparkling handle, offering some versatility for an offense. In both procedure, his affect is felt.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
When transferring faculties, there are some glaring unknown variables that are remarkable to enjoy in thoughts when projecting future outlook. For a player deal with Nester, however, the arrow is firmly pointing up in spite of the procedure. They don’t waste males this extensive day-after-day.
The flexibility level for the outdated skool Freshman All-American is easy to note. There’s a motive that he captured so noteworthy consideration, accolades and nationwide consideration each and each as a recruit and Hokie. If he is ready to place all of it together, he could well well very neatly pause up among the most proficient interior offensive lineman in the 2022 NFL Draft, also can honest accrued he possess to portray.
Whether or now not that NFL future happens next cycle or the year after, Nester also can honest accrued firmly be on NFL radars. Along with his combination of dimension, physicality and upside, the West Virginia Mountaineers enjoy doubtlessly one amongst the extra proficient guards in all of faculty football heading into 2021.
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