Nick has been the do-it-all guy for the Pumas for the past couple of years, playing running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and defensive back for Palisades as they have become a consistent winning program on the southside of Charlotte. Nick’s athleticism, speed, and agility led him to another All-Conference season and an impact playmaker in not only the city of Charlotte, but the state of North Carolina as well. Nick has started to take some recruiting visits – most notably to Liberty and Coastal Carolina. Nick currently has offers from Old Dominion, Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Miami (Ohio), East Carolina, and Troy.

With offers from Old Dominion, Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Delaware, Miami (OH), East Carolina, and Troy, Nick certainly is on the radar of a number of college football programs. Nick made some contributions on offense last season with 8 total touchdowns and 360 total yards of offense, putting him in this ATH category. Defensively, Nick had a very productive year with 76 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 5 pass breakups from his safety position. I saw him live against Chambers this past season, where he showed excellent run fits from the safety position in particular. I talked with him after that game, and by all accounts, he is a great young man off the field. He’s a strong contender for this 704 Junior Bowl team.

Rankin is, above all else on the field, a pure, instinctual football player. The two-way athlete lives around the ball and has a knack for making a big play. He’s built like a corner, but plays like a linebacker, as his pursuit angles from his safety position are excellent. With a bit more weight and some positive recognition, we think Rankin isn’t just a future Power Four athlete, we think he’s a potential game-changer at the college level.

I came away impressed watching Nicholas do work on film. I have him as a safety, but some people have him evaluated as an athlete, as he does some good things on offense as well. I think his future is on defense though, and that’s mainly because as a safety Nicholas plays with some impressive force and fortitude on a consistent basis. There are several instances where Nicholas makes an impressive open-field tackle on a ball carrier, but then the power behind his tackles is on the level of a linebacker. Nicholas also does well in pass coverage, showing good range in space and the ability to come down and cover in man-to-man coverage looks. Nicholas has several Division 1 offers and should honestly have more in my opinion.

While he mostly plays a center field, free safety role, Rankin isn’t afraid to mix it up in the running game. He wraps up well and plays bigger than his slight frame would imply. A smart player, Rankin had good ball production last year with several pass breakups and forced fumbles. I’ll look this season for him to get a little more aggressive and trust his instincts more, because he’s usually moving in the right direction.

Rankin has the speed and athleticism of a smaller defender and plays like he’s 210. With a frame to add weight, he won’t have to adjust his game as he does, but he’ll just get more effective at the things he already does well. He’s transferring from South Meck to Palisades this offseason and should have plenty of opportunities at free safety. As he grows, he’ll become a bit more aggressive in the running game to go with his already impressive pass coverage abilities.