Four-star EDGE Dominic Nichols gives Michigan official visit high marks
Michigan hosted several talented recruits for official visits over the weekend, including Ijamsville (Md.) Oakdale EDGE Dominic Nichols.
The four-star prospect got an in-depth look at the program and enjoyed his time on campus.
“It was great,” Nichols said. “I liked getting around the players. They are going to tell you the truth about everything. I wanted to see if they really liked it there or not, and everybody I talked to loved it, so that was a good thing. Getting to hang around the team outside of the football environment was probably the best part.”
Nichols made a three-day unofficial visit to Michigan in the spring and had a chance to really bond with the staff. As he mentioned, this trip was more about getting a family feeling around the current players on the team.
And it’s safe to say player host Kris Jenkins and others made a strong impression.
“I spent a little bit of time with (Jenkins) before,” Nichols said. “It was great to spend some more time with him. It’s great knowing dudes from Maryland feel comfortable up there. There were some instances where I talked to dudes that play in the SEC, and they say it’s nothing like home. It’s good knowing it’s not too different from Maryland. I also got to hang out with the two freshmen (Enow Etta and Aymeric Koumba). It felt like I had known them forever.”
Of course, Nichols also reconnected with the U-M coaching staff. Dylan Roney, who works closely with Michigan’s pass rushers, was with Nichols for basically his entire visit.
“It was good,” Nichols said. “He made it known that I was a priority to them. He said that I’m a true edge rusher in comparison to Aidan Hutchinson and Mike Morris. I do feel really comfortable playing that EDGE position because it’s what I’m used to.”
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh also centered his pitch around Michigan’s EDGE production.
“It was a good meeting,” Nichols said. “The last time, my mom didn’t come, so he got to meet her and all that. It definitely went well. Obviously, he’s a great coach. I feel like I could play well under him. We really talked about how many picks he’s had over the last few years, especially EDGE players. It’s crazy he’s coached in the Super Bowl and had a whole bunch of players at my position drafted during the time he’s been at Michigan.”
As Nichols mentioned, this was his mother’s first visit to Michigan. And yes, she also came away impressed with the program.
“She definitely enjoyed her time,” Nichols said. “She really liked Coach Roney and Coach (Mike) Elston. She feels pretty strongly about Michigan.”
Aside from meeting with the players and the staff, Nichols said another highlight of the trip was getting to hang out with fellow defensive line targets Deyvid Palepale and Justin Scott.
“Those are my guys,” Nichols said. “Obviously, we talked about playing together. I could realistically see it with Deyvid and Justin, so don’t be surprised.”
So where does Michigan stand coming out of the visit?
“They’ve always been at the top of my board for my recruitment,” Nichols said. “The visit went great, so they are still at the top.”
Nichols made an official visit to Wisconsin earlier this month and is set to see Kentucky this weekend. He has no other official visits set at this time. Nichols is looking to make a decision at some point in the next month.
At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Nichols is ranked as the No. 25 EDGE and No. 371 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
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