Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 26 Zion Nelson
No. 50 Miami DT Thomas Gore … No. 49 Malik Curtis … No. 48 Kaleb Spencer … No. 47 Ahmad Moten … No. 46 Jaden Harris … No. 45 Logan Sagapolu … No. 44 Markeith Williams … No. 43 Frank Ladson … No. 42 Chris Graves … No. 41 Keontra Smith … No. 40 Robby Washington … No. 39 Emory Williams … No. 38 Jacurri Brown … No. 37 Brashard Smith … No. 36 Terry Roberts … No. 35 Samson Okunlola … No. 34 Dylan Joyce … No. 33 Jared Harrison-Hunte … No. 32 Jaleel Skinner … No. 31 Corey Flagg … No. 30 Ray Ray Joseph … No. 29 Don Chaney … No. 28 Anez Cooper … No. 27 Branson Deen
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we break down No. 26, Zion Nelson.
NO. 26 MIAMI OL ZION NELSON
Why he’s No. 26
Nelson would probably crack the top 10 if we knew for sure he’d be back at full health for this coming season. Heck, it wasn’t all that long ago that some were projecting him as a first-round NFL draft pick. But then knee issues struck and cost Nelson virtually all of last season. But let’s reflect for a moment on the fifth-year player. He arrived in 2019 as a skinny true freshman that looked more like a tight end than an offensive lineman. But he quickly packed on weight, 60 pounds by some estimates, and with weak depth emerged as an immediate every game starter. In 2020 he started once again but was hampered by injury (seven starts in 11 games played), then in 2021 started every game. But this past season he was banged up in the fall, tried to come back for the third game of the year vs. Texas A&M but was reinjured. He sat out this spring rehabbing and has dropped weight to take pressure off his knees. As far as Nelson’s Pro Football Focus grades? In 840 reps as a freshman in 2019 he graded out at a lowly 51.4 (with 70 considered a good grade). That included a 46.8 pass block grade and 51.2 run block grade. That improved to a 70.4 overall grade in 2020 (653 reps, 78.7 pass block grade, 63.8 run blocking), and in 568 reps in 2021 he graded out at a solid 73.3 percent (elite 85.3 as a pass blocker, 65.0 as a run blocker). He saw 61 reps of action in the one game this past season and had a grade of 54.2 in that one.
What he needs to do to move up this list
Just get healthy and play. He has all the talent in the world to be an outstanding tackle. When Nelson is on, he’s a more than capable left tackle who flashes NFL ability. So if he can stay healthy there’s little doubt he can start, prove himself and move onto the pros. But that getting healthy part is a question mark since it’s a recurring injury that wasn’t cured with surgery. Nelson also has just one game under his belt with Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal running the O line, so to some extent he has to really show them he has what it takes to be the guy at tackle over a Jalen Rivers or Francis Mauigoa (the spring starters at tackle).
Realistic season objective
Nelson’s really good when he’s on the field healthy, but with the injury issues it’s just hard to say what he will look like and how much work he’ll be able to do in fall drills. Also worth noting: Nelson’s forte is pass blocking from what we’ve seen, and these coaches want dominant run blockers as well. With that said, we do think a healthy Nelson starts at tackle for this team and can do very well. The key is getting him to 100 percent. If he can get healthy that would also allow Miami to move Jalen Rivers to guard, where he’s started before and is his more natural position.
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