Video preview: 2019 Howell football
Howell football players and coach Aaron Metz talk about the expectations for the 2019 season.
Bill Khan, Livingston Daily
Mason Nelson of Howell is betting on himself, leaving a sure thing at Western Michigan to play football in a new environment at Vanderbilt.
Nelson is transferring to the Commodores for his final season of college eligibility with the hope it will increase his chances of being selected in the National Football League Draft next year.
“My goal when transferring is to put myself in the best situation possible next year so I can go to the NFL,” said Nelson, a 6-foot-2, 311-pound defensive tackle.
“I felt like Vanderbilt was the best decision for me to do that. I really like the coaches there. Scheme wise, it’s very similar to the scheme I ran at Western.”
Nelson started the last two seasons for Western, making 32 tackles and three sacks in 2023 and 30 tackles and two sacks in 2024. He will help fill a void in the middle of the defensive line at Vanderbilt, which lost starter De’Marion Thomas to Oklahoma State.
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Nelson said he only recently considered transferring.
“I knew the transfer portal was opening up April 16,” said Nelson, who will graduate from Western this summer. “It became a thing not too long before that. I jumped the gun and took a chance on myself.
“It was really hard. I had a lot of great teammates here. I’m going to miss them.”
Nelson hopes that showcasing his talent against some of the premier teams in college football will elevate his profile in the eyes of NFL teams. The Broncos played Wisconsin and Ohio State last season, but didn’t consistently…
Source link : https://www.livingstondaily.com/story/sports/college/2025/04/25/dt-mason-nelson-transfers-from-western-michigan-football-to-vanderbilt/83270677007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-25 14:37:00
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