Notre Dame Commit Jack Nickel Is A Standout On And Off The Field
Earlier this week, Notre Dame received a commitment from Jack Nickel, a four-star tight end out of Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton. Nickel’s talent on the field is unquestionable, but according to his head coach, Adam Clack, what makes him special are all the little things he does to continue to better himself, day in and day out.
“Jack eats, drinks, and sleeps football,” said Clack. “One thing I have noticed about him is that he loves the grind of getting better. Jack loves lifting weights, watching film, studying the playbook, all of those kinds of things.”
While Nickel is great on the field, he brings more to the team than just that. Being a leader comes second nature to him and he is always looking to make everyone around him better.
“He is definitely a team-first guy,” said Clack of Nickel. “He wants to be great himself but he is always very humble and kind towards everyone.”
An example of Nickel’s team-first attitude came during his freshman year when Nickel received just two targets on the season from the tight end position. Rather than being used as a receiving tight end as he would prefer, being that Nickel was so big for his age and was a great blocker, Clack asked his young star to block. This never fazed Nickel, and he never had a bad attitude about it.
“Jack is always going to do what is best for the team and having those kinds of guys around on the team is great,” explained the Milton head coach. “He has a nice blend of humility and confidence. He is going to let his play talk, but he always wants his number called on the big play, in the big moment.”
Last season for Milton, Nickel tallied 27 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns in his sophomore season. Heading into this season, Clack expects to be calling his star tight end’s number early and often down the stretch.
“We expect Jack to be a focal point of the offense this season,” Clack explained. “He is a talented kid and can do a lot of things for us.”
Clack will continue to groom his young standout, who is excited about his future with Milton and Notre Dame.
“Ever since I knew Jack was really interested in Notre Dame, I have talked to people I work with about the academic standards at Notre Dame and the pressure that comes along with that,” Clack recalled. “At Notre Dame, you are expected to not only go to class but to succeed. That degree doesn’t come from nothing.”
There has never been any concern about Nickel’s grades or academic prowess, but Clack and Nickel’s parents have prepared him for the challenges he will face at a place like Notre Dame.
“He is really looking forward to not only challenging himself in the classroom but also on the football field,” said Clack. “Jack has been well groomed for that, though, at Milton and I think his experiences here will benefit him at Notre Dame.”
Nickel still has a few years to wait until he will move up north from his home in Georgia and attend Notre Dame, but fans and the Irish staff alike are ecstatic to have him in the fold as one of the first members of the 2022 class.
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes.
Follow me on Twitter: @MasonPlummerIB
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook