Nash Nance: a look at Tennessee signees

One of the more surprising commitments in the University of Tennessee’s recruiting class of 2010 came from an unlikely place and like so many others, it came late in the process. Nash Nance, the former Vanderbilt commitment decided to make the switch from Vandy to UT after making a late visit to Knoxville and he came away with the idea that Knoxville was a better fit than Nashville for him as a quarterback. The Vols were in dire need of quarterbacks entering this recruiting cycle and now have three new qb’s on board, including Nash, the 6-foot-4, 205 pound dual-threat gunslinger.

After claiming that Vanderbilt would be receiving his letter of intent just a couple weeks before signing day, Nance changed his tune once he decided to take a visit to see the Knoxville campus and he soon changed his commitment to the Vols and he couldn’t be happier about it. He sees the opportunity to come in and compete right away in Knoxville and although he has been brought up in a different system, Nance has the right skill set to become successful for the Vols down the line.

Here is what ESPNU and Scouts,Inc. had to say about Nash Nance and how his game translates to the college game…

Nance is an efficient, athletic dual-threat prospect that is a nice fit for the spread offense, but he also has some upside as a pure passer that would be a nice fit for a west coast style scheme. He has good size and an athletic build. Plays in the spread out of the shotgun and the majority of his work in the passing game comes in the short and intermediate ranges of the field. He possesses very good feet and set up mechanics. Sets quickly, is quick and efficient in getting rid of the ball and he is very consistent in his methods. Shows adequate-to-good arm strength and good overall zip on throws in underneath zones. Throws a soft, catchable ball and consistently leads receivers. Can change ball speeds and shows very good touch on throws that require it– corners, fades, seam routes etc. He throws very well on the run with good accuracy and appears comfortable outside of the pocket. Has the feet and initial quickness to keep plays alive, avoid pressure in the pocket and make plays on the move. Has adequate speed and elusiveness and while he does not possess sudden or explosive change-of-direction, he is capable of tucking the ball and making things happen as a runner in the open field. He plays with a lot of confidence and shows a nice feel for the position. However, Nance’s delivery can be a little stiff. Not a lot of fluidity in his motion. He gets rid of the ball quickly and in a compact manner, but also “cups” the ball too and pushes it some in his release. We are not sure he has a great downfield arm and may be limited in his ability to drive the ball vertically or downfield outside the numbers. Overall, Nance is a quality prospect that is going to be a late bloomer with his best football in front of him. He is productive and possesses good overall tools for the position.

It sounds as if Nance may need some seasoning in a college environment as he is best suited for a spread oriented, west coast offense and needs to work on his arm strength in order to let loose with the long ball. The main thing with Nance is that he has done well at every level leading up to his college career.

The 6-foot-4, 205 pound Nance is a product of Calhoun County High School in Calhoun, Georgia, so he has both the size and the experience of playing against top level competition. As a senior, Nance threw for over 3,000 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns in leading his team to the playoffs. More than any other position, it is hard to project how a quarterback will do at the next level and Nash Nance is a great example of that dynamic. It is tough to project Nance and his future success due to the adjustments he will need to make but he has the prototypical size and has many of the intangibles that make quarterbacks successful at the college level.

Tagged as: Nash Nance