2022 Recruit Addison Nichols Starting to Build Strong Relationship With LSU Football Staff
Having a fellow recruit to talk to about the process is a nice source of comfort for offensive tackle prospect Addison Nichols. Nichols is being recruited by some of the top programs in the country and admits it can get a little overwhelming at times.
For him, fellow offensive tackle recruit Dayne Shore, who's also a part of the 2022 class, is great to bounce ideas off of and just talk about the process.
"It's nice to have someone that understands what you're going through because it's a lot more stress than people really realize," Nichols said. "You've got all of these incredibly impressive programs coming after you and you have to narrow it down to just one. It's nice to have someone who understands what that's like and not just seeing it on Twitter."
Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, Florida, Auburn and Florida State are just a few of the schools outside of LSU to offer the Greater Atlanta Christian School product.
LSU was Nichols' second offer as a freshman and it wasn't until recently that he actually was able to communicate with some of the Tigers' staff, primarily offensive line coach James Cregg, analyst Russ Calloway and coach Ed Orgeron.
"Right now the conversations have revolved around really trying to get to know each other," Nichols said.
It's easy to see why so many programs are interested in the 6-foot-5, 305-pound rising junior offensive tackle. Currently one of the top rated tackle prospects in all of the 2022 class, Nichols says his pass blocking is pretty advanced as he heads into his junior season.
"I definitely think my feet, hand placement and the ability of not allowing the defense to get behind me are all skills I possess," Nichols said. "I can't remember one time when a defensive player got around me and was able to sack the quarterback."
Nichols' describes Greater Atlanta Christian's offense as a nice mix of pass and run. It's been three years since the program made it to the state championship and are coming off a devastating semi-final loss a season ago.
Needless to say, Nichols is chomping at the bit to get back on the field and compete for a championship. This offseason, Nichols has put an emphasis on improving his foot quickness, speed off the ball and overall endurance.
After spending the last two years at right tackle, Nichols will be transitioning to left tackle for his junior season. While many of the reads will stay the same, the one area he has put a ton of time into is becoming more comfortable with his stance on the left side.
"I'm a little less comfortable with left tackle so I'm still trying to have that same foot progression where I'm not taking small steps, but good strong steps," Nichols said. "The biggest difference is definitely my body not being used to it. When I get in a right-handed stance it just feels more comfortable as opposed to a left-handed stance. I'm bending muscles that I hadn't used before."
Though it's taken a few weeks of hard work, Nichols says he feels much more comfortable with the position now. If he performs well this season at a new position, it will only increase the interest level from colleges knowing he can play on either side of the line of scrimmage.
Nichols tuned in late to the historic 2019 season, following the Tigers in the two playoff games against Oklahoma and Clemson and coming away thoroughly impressed with the ease in which the offensive line played with. In the two games combined, the LSU offense scored 105 points and racked up over 1,500 yards.
"I watched them and was just like 'Wow these guys are incredible,' " Nichols said. "From what I did notice, their offensive line did an amazing job protecting Joe Burrow. I remember hearing about how little he had been sacked on the year and was just really impressed with their performance."
The goal is to get on campus sometime soon but with the recruiting dead period continuing to be extended, Nichols doesn't know when he'll be able to get down to Baton Rouge. With over a year until any final decisions need to be made, there is plenty of time for him to make those arrangements.
Though his LSU recruitment is really just starting out in the relationship building stage, Nichols says the talent the Tigers consistently put on the field is what's so intriguing to him as a top prospect in the 2022 class.
"Probably just the overall dominance they show on the field," Nichols said. "They really are just able to get people on their heels whenever they're on the field and I've been really impressed with that."
