Tag: Josh Nichols

2025 Season Countdown: #111 Joshua Nichols

Name: Joshua Nichols
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Loyola
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #36
Last year: I ranked Nichols #96 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A

Nichols has spent the past few seasons as a scout team player, never seeing the field on a fall Saturday. He has made some appearances during spring games and does not appear to be ready for Big Ten competition, so his role is likely going to stay the same as a practice player.

While Michigan lost Makari Paige to graduation after the 2024 season, they brought in reinforcements and have guys waiting in the wings. Former starter Rod Moore will hopefully be ready for the 2025 season, and former Michigan State starter Jaden Mangham is also on hand. Meanwhile, Brandyn Hillman has made some strides, Mason Curtis has been a pleasant surprise, and Arkansas transfer T.J. Metcalf has a good amount of experience, too. The group hasn’t played together much, but there are a lot of solid pieces for defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan to piece together a back end.

Prediction: Backup safety

2024 Season Countdown: #96 Joshua Nichols

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

2023 Season Countdown: #102 Joshua Nichols

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Name: Joshua Nichols
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Loyola
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #29
Last year: I ranked Nichols #121 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Nichols is one of those walk-ons who seems like he’s going to make an impact by the time his career is over, whether just on special teams or maybe a little bit on defense. He filled up the stat sheet as a high school senior two years ago – 82 tackles, 11 forced fumbles, 7 pass breakups, and 1 interception – and now seems to have put on about 20 pounds of muscle.

Nichols could have a Hunter Reynolds type of career. Reynolds played as a backup before transferring to start at Utah State. Now that Nichols has put on some good weight, perhaps this is the season for him to run down on kickoff and/or punt coverage and start to make a name for himself. With the talent and depth at safety right now, that’s probably the best chance for him to get on the field.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer

2022 Season Countdown: #121 Josh Nichols

Name: Josh Nichols
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 165 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Loyola
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Nichols was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: N/A

Air Force and Navy both gave Nichols opportunities to play for them, but he decided to stay home and play for the Wolverines. He was a 247 Sports 2-star and the #255 athlete in the country. I really do think Nichols is one of the top few walk-ons Michigan has brought in over the past several years. The only limiting factor for him is a lack of size if he is indeed only 5’10” (or perhaps even shorter if 5’10” is a stretch). Otherwise, Nichols would be a 3-star recruit or higher.

He’s a heat-seeking missile who’s not afraid of contact despite his lack of bulk, and he’s not slow, either. At the very least, he should be a very good special teams player. I think he’s a better player than Caden Kolesar, who’s a special teams stalwart and has worked himself up to the periphery of the safety depth chart. Nichols has to add some size and has a bunch of players ahead of him, so he will have to bide his time. I expect him to redshirt this fall.

Prediction: Redshirt

Michigan’s 2022 Preferred Walk-ons

At any top-tier football program, walk-ons can seem meaningless. When teams recruit 5-star and 4-star players, what are the chances that some walk-on is going to do anything significant on the field? Except in almost any year, a walk-on plays a significant role, even if it’s “only” on special teams. This past season, safety Caden Kolesar (9 tackles), defensive tackle Jess Speight (7 tackles), tight end Carter Selzer, and long snapper William Wagner all played significant snaps for the Wolverines. There’s a good chance that at least one or two of these players will end up playing a lot of minutes in a Michigan uniform.

Nico Andrighetto – S – Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Andrighetto is the 5’9″, 180 lb. brother of walk-on running back Lucas Andrighetto. He turned down offers from FCS Colgate and Columbia to walk on at Michigan. Nico had 75 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown as a senior in 2021. You can find his highlights HERE.

Chibi Anwunah – DE – Westland (MI) Lutheran
Anwuna is a 6’7″, 225 lb. Nigerian immigrant who played out of position – at least for college – as a linebacker in high school. He will almost certainly move down to the defensive line, probably defensive end, for Michigan. Anwunah has good size and decent athleticism, but he plays tentatively and needs to get a lot stronger. If he does he could be a diamond in the rough in a few years. You can find his highlights HERE.

Evan Boutorwick – LS – Sterling Heights (MI) Henry Ford II
Boutorwick has nice size at 6’4″ and 225 lbs. He was an Under Armour All-American and Korblue Kicking has him ranked as the #10 long snapper in the class of 2022.

Declan Byle – QB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Byle is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who looks like a walk-on quarterback. He does not have a particularly good arm or noteworthy athleticism. I do not see him factoring into Michigan’s depth chart in the future. You can find some of his highlights HERE.

Hit the jump for more.