21 3* WI DE Hayden Nelson Talks Increased Michigan State Interest

21 3* WI DE Hayden Nelson Talks Increased Michigan State Interest

With his junior season now in the rearview mirror, Brookfield (WI) Central 2021 3-star defensive end Hayden Nelson’s seen his recruitment continue to gain steam and Michigan State is among the programs showing increased interest recently.

Nelson recently spoke with Spartan Nation about his recruitment and the interest he’s received from the Spartans and said that the recruiting process has its ups and downs, but he’s not getting to caught up in the stresses that come with recruiting.

“There’s times when it’s stressful, but sometimes you’re going to a lot of games and it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m really trying to take it easy and not be too stressed out by it.”

So far, Nelson already holds offers Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Kent State and Iowa State, with several more likely on the way in the not-so-distant future.

Nelson was recently visited in school by Michigan State offensive coordinator Brad Salem, who Nelson said he’s been able to develop a strong relationship with throughout his time being recruited by Michigan State.

“I’ve been staying in touch with him for a couple of months now, ever since September 1st,” he said. “He’s one of my favorite coaches that I’ve met in the recruiting process.”

“It’s definitely nice,” Nelson added. “I’ve been through the process for a while, so I know when coaches are just saying things and when coaches shoot you straight. Coach Salem is one of those guys who’s honest and is really just a good guy at heart.”

Nelson was on campus last summer when he attended camp at Michigan State and the 6-foot-4, 240 pound defensive end said that he enjoyed his time at camp and even had the opportunity to spend time talking with Michigan State defensive end Kenny Willekes.

“The first time that I was there, they really showed me that I fit in and they made me feel really good about the visit,” he said. “I was at camp there and they had Kenny Willekes come up - I’m a really big fan of his - and they asked him to come up and talk to me so that really left a lasting impression on me. I’m grateful for that opportunity.”

Nelson said that he obviously enjoyed talking to Willekes and added that he was able to stay in touch with the Michigan State star even after camp had ended.

“It was awesome,” he said. “He was asking me how everything was and he told me that Michigan State really liked me. It definitely meant a lot. I actually followed up with him after camp and followed him on Twitter, sent him a DM and he followed me back and responded, so that was pretty cool.”

During his time in East Lansing, Nelson said he had the opportunity to see the campus and tour the facilities and said he came away impressed.

“The campus is definitely one of the nicest in the country and we drove around campus and Michigan State is huge,” he said. “There’s not many campuses that are that big, so it was cool to see. The facilities, I got a nice tour of them and it was good to see everything they’ve got.”

Along with Michigan State, Nelson said that he’s also received interest from Minnesota, Notre Dame and Nebraska and said that there have been a handful of other coaches that have come into school to see him as well.

While he doesn’t hold an offer from the Spartans yet, Nelson said that a potential offer from Michigan State would present a tempting opportunity for him.

“It would definitely mean a lot,” he said. “It would be a hard thing to say no to, just everything they’ve done the last couple of years and really just what a great program it is.”

At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Nelson fits the bill of a Division 1 defensive end and has already shown the ability to rush the passer at a high level at the high school level and described himself as a relentless, hard working type of player.

“I think I’m just relentless,” he said. “I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the fastest guy, I’m not the strongest guy, but I love football, I love to play and I’m a hard worker. I do the little things and that’s something that preached to me at my program at Brookfield Central, so that’s what I do.”

Be sure to stay tuned to Spartan Nation for all of the latest news on Nelson and the Spartans!

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