Blake Nichelson

ACCOLADES: 2023: FSU Team Honors - Special Teams Newcomer of the Year...All-ACC Academic Team 2025 (Junior): Played 12 games and started final six games of season...recorded 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery...second on team in tackles for loss...fumble recovery was one of two for FSU on season...Alabama: four tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and one pass breakup in 31-17 win...East Texas A&M: one tackle was for loss...Kent State: one tackle...Virginia: three tackles...Miami: six tackles, including 1.0 sack for eight yards...Pitt: two tackles...Stanford: season-high seven tackles and career-best 1.5 tackles for loss playing in first start of season...Wake Forest: four tackles...Clemson: season-high seven tackles...Virginia Tech: two tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss...added first career fumble recovery that led to FSU touchdown...NC State: five tackles, with 1.0 for loss...Florida: one tackle. 2024 (Sophomore): Played 11 games with nine starts…finished second on team with 52 tackles, adding 4.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks…first career start came against Boston College…career-high eight tackles in victory over California…seven tackles vs. Boston College and North Carolina, six tackles against Clemson…multiple tackles in all 11 games played…split sack at SMU was first of career…earned first full tackle for loss against Florida and had hand in six other tackles for loss in 2024, including season opener vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin. 2023 (Freshman): Appeared in all 14 games…recorded 17 tackles and one pass breakup…All-ACC Academic Team…FSU Special Teams Newcomer of the Year…posted season-best and team-leading five tackles along with one pass breakup in 66-13 win vs. Southern Miss…made collegiate debut in season-opening 45-24 win vs. No. 5 LSU…registered three tackles in Orange Bowl vs. No. 6 Georgia…had three tackles, including two solo stops, in 58-13 win vs. North Alabama…made two tackles in 41-16 win at Wake Forest…recorded one tackle in 39-17 win vs. Virginia Tech, 41-3 win vs. Syracuse, 38-20 win vs. No. 16 Duke and 24-7 win at Pitt. BEFORE FSU: Consensus four-star recruit…rated as No. 9 overall prospect in California, No. 131 overall nationally and country’s No. 10 linebacker by 247Sports…ranked 13th overall in state, No. 20 among nation’s linebackers and No. 202 overall nationally by On3…ranked as California’s 14th-best prospect and No. 17 outside linebacker nationally by ESPN…197th in ESPN300…rated 24th nationally among outside linebackers and 27th among California’s prospects by Rivals…contributed on offense and defense at Manteca…recorded 93 tackles, including 11.5 sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles…added 431 carries for 4,078 yards and 65 touchdowns plus 52 receptions for 1,231 yards and 22 touchdowns…named to MaxPreps All Sac-Joaquin Section Team after leading Buffaloes to 11-2 record and regional final round of CIF Division 1-A playoffs his senior year…rushed for 1,719 yards and 27 touchdowns, caught 29 passes for 703 yards and 14 touchdowns and made 44 tackles, 6.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and six pass breakups…helped Manteca to Division 3 title his junior season after rushing for 2,231 yards and 36 touchdowns, catching 19 passes for 381 yards and seven touchdowns and recording 49 tackles, 18.0 for loss with 7.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery.