Name: Joshua Nichols
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Loyola
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #29
Last year: I ranked Nichols #102 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A
Nichols came in as a decently talented safety, but he has yet to see the field at Michigan. Over two seasons on campus, he has been unable to crack the rotation or even end up on special teams, the latter of which I thought was pretty likely in 2023. This spring he got a bit of a bad rap when he was beaten for a long touchdown by redshirt freshman wide receiver Kendrick Bell, but that was a case where Nichols was forced into action at cornerback due to the split squad setup of the spring game.
Michigan has faced some departures at safety this off-season with guys like Keon Sabb transferring to Alabama and Rod Moore heading off to ACL rehab land. But they brought in reinforcements like Wesley Walker and Jaden Mangham, so Nichols isn't any further up the depth chart. His best bet is still getting on the field as a special teams guy. We'll see if year three pays off for him.
Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer
Why is Wayne Fontes Jr on the field for the National Championship game?
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