MS ATH Brassell draws heavy attention

Batesville, MS.- Smooth running athlete Nickalos Brassell has quietly been one of the top recruits by major SEC programs for a long time. The national spotlight may not shine on him as big as some other recruits, but college coaches know he’s a playmaker. There are several college staff’s that are in hot pursuit of the 6’0″ 180 pound athlete. He is being looked at on both sides of the ball and can play cornerback or receiver at the next level. In fact he is such a complete player at both positions, most coaches are giving him his choice of position.

“The coaches all tell me I can play wherever I think is best for me. They tell me it’s all up to me. I don’t care where I play as long as I help my team win. I’m still open to everyone right now. I don’t have a top four or top schools or anything like that. I’m not looking to commit anytime soon, it will probably be close to signing day or at least after my senior season.”

While he holds around twenty plus offers at this point, he was quick to name a few schools showing him a lot of attention currently.

“Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and UCLA are all coming hard right now. I just got done at camps at Alabama and Ole Miss this past week. I’m going to Mississippi State this weekend. Ole Miss was good, I had fun and competed hard. Alabama was great, I met a lot of different recruits. I played hard and did pretty good.”

It would appear there is still a long way to go in this heated battle, but landing a player of his caliber is worth the effort.

ESPN Scouts Inc Evaluation:
Brassell is a playmaker with a smooth stride and slashing running style. He is a run heavy pro-style scheme so he gets a lot of looks on screens and off play-action to get him matched-up on-on-one and in space. Has adequate height and a lean, muscular build. He is explosive off the ball and has good first step quickness out of the break as a route runner and also as a ball carrier. Shows adequate burst off the line of scrimmage, but tends to build speed as he goes downfield. He has very good body control and sneaky acceleration out of his cuts. His awareness and his ability to use his body to screen defenders allow him to get open. He has a good feel for zone coverage, gets to the open areas and has good awareness in man coverage. He uses his hands well to get hands off and beat the press. He has soft hands and has the ability to catch the ball away from his body and on the run. He has a knack for making the catch on the sideline and has no reluctance going over the middle and making a tough catch. Has deceptive speed and quickness after the catch. We are not convinced he ahs great speed, but he does show a sneaky second gear when tracking the ball and also when getting upfield after the catch. He is not yet a polished route runner and does not always play under control or with a lot of discipline. Wins on athleticism at this level and must learn the little nuances of the position. Overall, Brassell is a good player that is not in a pass happy scheme. He could be even better with more tutelage within the position.