The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY EJ HOLLAND Michigan edge signee Dominic Nich- ols leaves Ijamsville (Md.) Oakdale as one of the most decorated high school players in the DMV (District of Colum- bia, Maryland, Virginia) region. The three-star prospect led Oakdale to a win over Frederick (Md.) Linganore in the 3A state title game and fin- ished as the program's all- time leader in quarterback pressures (143), sacks (27) and tackles for loss (51). " I t m ea n s m o re b e - cause we went all the way last year and lost," Nich- ols said. "As a team, we worked for that. I worked h a rd myse l f b e ca u se I never wanted to feel like that again. It's definitely great. "If you don't want to pay for school and you want to go public, Oakdale is the place to be. Coach [Kurt] Stein and all the coaches did a great job of putting me in spots to make plays, and I made them." Now, Nichols is ready to take his tal- ents to the University of Michigan. It was a bit of an unusual path to Ann Arbor. Nichols actually made his way to Michigan in the summer going into his junior season and camped in front of the staff. However, he left campus without a scholarship in hand. "It's not a great feeling when you camp and don't get an offer right away," Nichols said. "I felt like I underper- formed, so I worked hard my junior year to get that offer. I feel like I've pro- gressed, and a lot has changed." Nichols finally got his Michigan offer in the spring, following a strong junior campaign. As soon as U-M jumped in the mix, it became one of the true con- tenders in his recruitment. Michigan hosted Nichols for an offi- cial visit in the summer and closed him soon after. For Nichols, the decision was a no-brainer. "It's great to sign with the best school in the nation," he said. "Their edge pro- duction has been great. You look at guys like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. How could you not take a shot on Mich- igan? You would have to be stupid. I had a great time on my official, and I knew it was the place to be." Nichols enrolled at Michigan in Jan- uary. The extra semester on campus should provide a big boost in his devel- opment. "I get to practice and get ready for my freshman year, which will be great," Nichols said. "I'm the only edge com- ing in early, so I'm getting a jump-start. It's going to benefit me a lot in the long run. I'm excited about the weight room. I have some muscle to throw on there. Michigan makes the biggest difference. They get a lot of dudes ready to go pretty quickly." ❑ Maryland Edge Dominic Nichols Gets Early Start On His U-M Career Nichols led his Oakdale squad to a perfect 14-0 season and the Maryland 3A state championship as a senior. The 6-5, 250- pound edge earned a four-star rating from On3. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2024 Projection Nichols is a bigger edge who gained extra weight as a junior, moving up above 250. However, he played at 235 as a senior and appeared more explosive off the edge. Finding that sweet spot for his body will be key this offseason. As an early enrollee, Nichols will have a chance to crack the rota on as a true freshman. STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks 2023 84 34.5 15.5 HONORS • PrepStar All-Atlan c Region (2023). • First team Maryland All-State (2023). • Led Oakdale to a 14-0 record and the MPSSAA 3A state championship (2023). RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan on June 25, 2023, shortly a er an on-campus visit. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Florida State, Maryland and Texas A&M. • Recruited by former U-M defensive coordina- tor Jesse Minter. DID YOU KNOW? • Recorded 206 career tackles as a three-year starter at Oakdale. • Le as the school's all- me leader in sacks (27), tackles for loss (51) and quarterback pressures (143). • Two-way contributor who played ght end on offense. • Also earned two le ers in basketball, helping Oakdale to a state championship in 2021-22. • Son of Derrick Jones and Chloe Nichols. • Born Feb. 6, 2006. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "Nichols really showed im- provement his senior year. He's a big-bodied defensive end. He trimmed down a li le bit as a senior and made explosive plays. He has the size and the stature to hold as a run defender and play as a big defensive end. But he can con- nue to put on weight. I see him as a versa le defensive lineman. He can play different spots. He's shown solid pass-rushing ability along with run-stopping skill. I think he has the size for a big edge-se er." DOMINIC NICHOLS EDGE 6-5 • 250 OAKDALE HIGH FREDERICK, MD. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 426 39 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 39 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 36 18 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 49 17 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 40 18 INDUSTRY