101 Days of BC Football: Victor Nelson, #58
By Joe Micik
Any Boston College football fan who has followed the team for more than two years remembers the days when the school was hailed for being “O-Line U.” Recently, we’ve been treated to scenes of Chase Rettig running for his life while his pocket falls apart like a wet paper towel. Victor Nelson looks like the kind of guy who can help BC regain the reputation of producing solid offensive lines if he plays his cards right.
Nelson, a redshirt freshman right tackle from Illinois, is one big kid. Just 19 years old, he already measures at 6-7 and 300 pounds, so in terms of size, he’s comparable to the rest of his teammates on the offensive line. When he played for Maine South High School, he won three state championships in a row, so chances are he did something right.
Coming to Boston College, Nelson was a two or three-star recruit, depending on the website or scouting service you asked. Though he had a nice enough career in high school, some scouts believe he’s a work in progress. One does not need to shell out for the full ESPN Insider blurb on Nelson to see some key points, like this:
"Nelson flashes good playing strength but must improve his explosion and athleticism."
But it also says this, which is pretty obvious already:
"Has great size for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition."
In terms of frame, Nelson seems to be “right there,” but he has to work on becoming more athletic and able to withstand the defensive pressure that will be coming at him in future seasons. If there’s one thing BC doesn’t need, it’s the quarterback eating the new field turf at Alumni Stadium. Nelson scouted himself as well, and he did note that he does have quickness, which is certainly a plus.
Nelson is not on the two-deep this time around, but as time progresses, his skills may improve and we’ll see him there. Here we have a player who already has a lot of the physical attributes of a solid lineman at this level, and if it’s complemented with better athleticism, Nelson can have a fine BC career.