Scouting Report
Approved · Oct 26, 2026Nigel Lightner
Overall grade
- 0-49Undetermined
- 50-59D-III / Dev
- 60-69D-II / NAIA
- 70-74FCS
- 75-84Group of 5
- 85-89Power 4
- 90-94Blue Chip
- 95-100Elite / Top 100
Instinctive, ballhawking safety. Lightner is a good-looking safety who does a little of everything well. He has a well-built frame, probably closer to 6-foot, with a stocky, rocked-out upper body, and he has good length, long arms, and plenty of growth potential. His coaches have described him as a "box checker with Power Four ability," and they were not overselling him. He has a well-rounded skill set on the field and every intangible a program could want off the field as well. He is young for his grade, having just turned 17, and he is an excellent student with an…
Top Attributes
- Positional versatility - Range and ability to break on the ball - Cover skills - Ball awareness and ball skills
Areas to Develop
- Physicality at the point of attack - Short area quickness
Film Review Notes
Two-way player; lines up at receiver and safety but projects best on the defensive side of the ball. Has good range, ball skills and football instincts. Always seems to be around the football, gets great reads, and is a reactionary athlete. Shows strong cover skills for a safety and does a nice job locking up tight ends and running backs. Has improved in run support and can get downhill and impact the run game. Has good straight-line speed and can run down plays from sideline to sideline.
Graded Skills
0–10 Scale
- 8.5Size
- 8.5Frame/length
- 8.7Instincts
- 8.1Top-end speed
- 8.3Agility
- 8Burst to close
- 8.5Ball skills
- 7.8Backpedal
- 7.9Tackling/striking
- 8.3Physicality/effort