4-Star WR Tre Nixon Breaks Down 6 Favorites, Aims to Commit 'Soon'
College football coaching staffs invest significant hours analyzing game film of prospective student-athletes. Florida wide receiver Tre Nixon is reversing these roles.
The 4-star recruit spends Saturdays studying schemes of programs under his consideration. It's part of a detailed evaluation process he hopes ends with an ideal fit.
"I try to completely dissect the offenses," Nixon told Bleacher Report.
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He and his mother set up two televisions in the living room, watching multiple games at one time when necessary. Other matchups are recorded and saved for viewing later in the day.
"Each game I watch brings me another step closer to a decision," Nixon said.
There are six teams under the microscope these days. The Viera High School senior, rated 42nd nationally among receivers in 2016 composite rankings, is focused on a group of favorites featuring Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Penn State, Florida and Georgia.
Nixon, a 6'1", 170-pound playmaker, views each school as a possible landing spot. Strong relationships with coaches and consistent communication are a commonality among them.
Bucking the national trend, Nixon doesn't have intentions of using all five official visits. In fact, he's not sure if one is even necessary.
"I've traveled to each of these schools at least once over the past year, so I have a good idea of what the coaching staffs and campuses are like," Nixon said. "If I take official visits, I'm just going to fall in love with every school I visit. That's going to hurt me more than it's going to help me."
His lone campus trip this season occurred in an unofficial capacity Oct. 23, when he attended Florida's game against Ole Miss. The Gators' 38-10 victory commanded attention from across the country and served notice to Nixon that a new era in Gainesville has arrived.
"There were so many questions about how [head coach Jim] McElwain was going to do and what the offense would look like. They've definitely silenced all the doubters so far by getting the ball rolling this season," he said.
Nixon admits he's impressed by how the Gators have implemented wide receiver Antonio Callaway. The true freshman leads Florida with 418 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.
"They're doing a great job putting receivers in spots where they can make plays," he said. "Even with the transition to another quarterback, Florida has a system that's still successful. They're spreading the ball around."
Nixon, who hears from Florida commits Chauncey Gardner and Jake Allen, is also excited about what he's seen from Texas A&M newcomer Christian Kirk. He occasionally speaks with the Aggies freshman, who has 47 receptions for 662 yards and four touchdowns in his first collegiate campaign.
"When you're a senior in high school, it's always good to see a team that's not afraid to put a young player in position to step up," Nixon said while discussing the successes of Kirk and Callaway.
Texas A&M, averaging 263 passing yards per contest, already has a pair of underclassman quarterbacks who were 5-star recruits. Tate Martell, another blue-chip passer, is pledged to join the program in 2017.
"Their offense speaks for itself. It's basically a pass-happy system, and they love dishing the ball to receivers in open areas," Nixon said.
Though Georgia is currently dealing with substantial struggles in its passing game, Nixon appreciates his relationship with Mark Richt's staff and believes improvements are on the way.
"I like the coaches a lot at Georgia. They have [5-star quarterback] Jacob Eason coming in next year too. Eason said he'd love to have a receiver like me to throw to throughout his career," he said.
The Bulldogs should boast a bevy of backfield talent next season, which catches his eye from a scouting standpoint.
"Just being able to see how effective their run game can be, and how it creates a lot of one-on-one coverage outside for receivers, gets me excited," Nixon said.
Ole Miss is another SEC squad expected to welcome in a top-tier quarterback who has reached out to him during recent months.
"That's a spread team that loves to throw the ball a lot. Like Georgia, Ole Miss is bringing in an outstanding quarterback with Shea Patterson. There's a lot to like at Ole Miss," he said.
Auburn rounds out Nixon's list of preferred SEC options. He likened the Tigers' attack to what he's grown familiar with at Viera.
"Auburn's offense is similar to what we run in high school. Playmakers get the ball in space with all those screens and stuff. They give guys a chance to create in the open field," Nixon said.
That's a key factor for the speedy receiver, who is clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash, according to 247Sports. He's looking for a role that allows him to capitalize.
"I definitely use God-given speed to my advantage. I can get on top of defensive backs really quick. I get in and out of my breaks in a hurry. Teams want that vertical threat downfield to take the top off a defense," Nixon said.
He provides elite quickness that coaches covet and believes it may be needed most in Happy Valley.
"I could come in and bring another dimension to Penn State's offense," Nixon said. "A big part of the reason I like Penn State is the opportunity to become a downfield threat that they don't really have right now. I can provide something new there."
While he certainly is a burner, Nixon is far from one-dimensional.
"I really pride myself on being able to run all the routes, and that's something I spent a lot of time working on during the offseason. I don't want to just be considered a guy who can only go deep. I want to be able to do everything," he said.
The Nittany Lions are an outlier among his favorites, considering the school's distance from Southeast alternatives that are closer to home.
"It is far away, but there's such a family atmosphere at Penn State," Nixon said. "Those coaches are probably the ones I've been closest with throughout this entire process. I see no reason why I wouldn't succeed around those kind of people."
Though he initially planned to announce his collegiate intentions in October, those plans were postponed. For Nixon, it's a choice important enough to get right the first time.
"As it came closer and closer, I just wasn't ready for a decision. The most important thing for me is to not rush anything. I would say a commitment is definitely coming soon, but there's no set date right now," he said.
Nixon, who secured his first scholarship offer from South Florida as a sophomore, now has 51 universities to consider.
Just one week shy of the playoffs in a senior season that's featured 55 receptions for 943 yards and 15 scores through nine games, per MaxPreps, he may be just a few more Saturday film study sessions away from finding his next home.
"I ask myself every day what the deciding factor is going to be. Each school has its pros and cons. They run different offenses, have their own atmospheres and coaches with totally different personalities," Nixon said. "I'll continue watching these teams every Saturday until I wake up one day and know where I want to go. It will be an easy decision when that happens."
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