Sooners Commit James Nesta A Danger on the Edge
Somewhat surprisingly Oklahoma has some track record in North Carolina and added it to last week. They did so by adding Cornelius (N.C.) Amos Hough four-star linebacker James Nesta. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound pass rusher chose the Sooners over Miami and the home state Tar Heels.
As a junior Nesta had 41 tackles (27 solo), including 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Now let’s take a look at what the talented Sooners commit put on tape in his junior season.
What’s on Tape for James Nesta
Even in early conversations with Nesta, he’s well aware of the strengths and areas for growth in his game. The first strength is obviously his ability as a pass rusher.
The big and lengthy defender, not surprisingly, is able to use his length and burst to create pressure time and time again. As he comes off the corner Nesta shows suddenness and some ability to lower his shoulder and turn the corner.
What’s interesting is that in spite of Nesta clearly needing to get bigger and improve his general strength, the Sooners commit has plenty of strength in his hands. Whether it’s a running back, a blocker, or a quarterback trying to escape the pocket he does a nice job directing them with his hands.
Likely due to his light frame and the reality that he’s often giving up weight on the edge Nesta can at times be a bit passive in run defense. That’s not to say that he isn’t willing nor able at it. It’s just that at times he’ll tend to work his way around blockers rather than taking them on and forcing a play to his help.
Still though there’s a ton to like in an athlete with Nesta’s physical traits and it will be interesting to see how he develops within the Sooners defense.
Sooners Commit Comparison
I’ll admit the first name that comes to mind is a guy who had a comparable body type coming out of high school, Dan Cody. However, I don’t think he’ll be used as a pure defensive end. As a guy who stands up and moves around a bit? An obscure name that registers for me is former South Carolina pass rusher, and current Green Bay Packer, Kingsley Enagbare (highlights).
