NICKELBACKS OUTLOOK
The name of the position is the same. The job description is the same. But the Bulldogs' nickels have a different look this season.
A year ago, injury hit this group early in the season and four players ended up starting at least two games. Now, Jakari Embry (four starts at nickel) is back at cornerback and RL Miller (four starts) has shifted to safety. RJ Regan, the Arizona State transfer who was recruited in 2024 to play nickel, also is lining up at safety. He played in the opener at Michigan, and was lost to a season-ending injury.
Tucker Meyer took over as the nickelbacks coach, coming to Fresno after spending the 2024 season at UCLA as a special teams analyst. He was on head coach Matt Entz' staff in 2023 at North Dakota State as a defensive quality control coach working with outside linebackers.
He has a young group to work with, but likes the progress a group led by redshirt junior Simeon Harris, redshirt freshman Cam Cole, junior Andre Cobb and freshman Tyger Canales have made in fall camp. "You kind of look for a body type, you look for length, speed and some athleticism and then a guy that's willing to put his face on people, some toughness," Meyer said.
What defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto and Meyer are looking for is basically everything.
"The nickels are the hybrids," Benedetto said. "They have to be able to do everything. They have to be able to play man defense on a slot receiver, get into the run fit, play the zone, play to the field, play to the boundary. They are the jack of all trades and how we'll adapt to the different offenses that we'll see throughout the season. They have to be able to do everything."
WHO'S BACK: The Bulldogs' only returning nickel is Gerayas Grimes. Grimes redshirted his freshman season in 2024.
Gerayas was a three-year varsity player at Casteel High in Queen Creek, Ariz., where he earned first-team all-region honors. During his senior season, he recorded 74 tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, three forced fumbles and a blocked field goal.
Cam Cole, who also redshirted his freshman season, transitioned from defensive back to nickel during the offseason.
Cole was a three-year starter at Seguin High in Arlington, Texas. In his senior season he had 23 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and six pass breakups. Cole was also a special teams contributor and was named the District Special Teams Most Valuable Player.
WHO'S NEW: Simeon Harris played at Colorado in 2022 and Utah State from 2023-24 before joining the Bulldogs. At Utah State, he started nine of 13 games in 2023, finishing fifth on the team with 59 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one interception. He redshirted the 2024 season.
At Colorado, he appeared in 11 games with four starts as a true freshman in 2022, posting 20 tackles, including a season-high eight against Washington.
Andre Cobb comes to the Valley after spending three seasons at Northern Illinois, playing for Benedetto.
WHAT TO WATCH: With the Bulldogs' experienced secondary and last season's struggles against the run, the nickelbacks could play a key role in bolstering the run defense.