By Nick Austin – Spear reporter | Senior Nick Nash celebrating after a touchdown grab against Sacramento State on Aug. 29 (Photo by Nick Orozco – Co-Executive Editor of The Spear)
You would never know senior wide receiver Nick Nash used to be a quarterback after watching his play and production through the first five games of the Spartans 2024-2025 season.
Nash was added to the Biletnikoff Award watchlist before the game against Nevada.
“It’s honestly a surreal feeling to be on the watchlist for such a prestigious award,” Nash said.
The Biletnikoff Award is given to the best wide receiver in all of college football and is awarded by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.
Some notable past Biletnikoff award winners include current top five wide receiver in the NFL Ja’Marr Chase, Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss.
Through five games, Nash has accumulated 55 receptions for 712 yards and nine touchdowns.
Nash currently ranks second in the nation in total yards and first in the nation in total receptions. He also ranks first in receiving touchdowns.
With Nash being placed on the watchlist for the award, some of the attention deservedly so needs to go to offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann.
“(Coach Stutzmann) was like ‘ this offense is going to flow through you,’” Nash said in an interview after the Spartans’ win against Kennesaw State on Sept. 14.
Nash was reportedly looking to transfer out of San Jose State but head coach Ken Niumatalolo and Stutzmann convinced him to stay in major part due to Nash’s new role in the “spread-n-shred” offense that Stutzmann invented.
With opponents becoming increasingly more aware of Nash’s ability to change games, it will be interesting to see how effective Nash can remain now that defensive coverages will roll his way as the season goes on.
