Miami Hurricanes freshman Bryce Fitzgerald may be on the move in the secondary, and he’s not exactly hiding the possibility.
After a debut season that turned heads across the ACC, Fitzgerald said the coaching staff is viewing him as more than just another defensive back. He’s coming off a year in which he piled up 16 total tackles, including 10 solo stops and six assists, added a tackle for loss and a sack, broke up two passes, and led the conference with six interceptions.
“The coaches [are] looking at me as a leader in the room,” Fitzgerald said. “[Nickelback] for us is like [middle] linebacker in the defense.
Taking that role in, it’s great. I love that the coaches trust in me.”
That potential shift comes after Fitzgerald said he added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason, a change that could matter if Miami wants him closer to the action. The nickel spot carries more of the physical load, and the added bulk should help him handle the extra tackling that comes with it.
Last season, Keionte Scott held down the primary nickelback job and thrived there, especially as a corner blitz threat. After the National Championship game, Scott wrapped up a six-year college career and was selected in the fourth round, No. 116 overall, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He later reunited with Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
Miami has also spent spring practice looking at Boston College transfer Omar Thornton as a possible fit at nickelback. Thornton brings the size and tackling profile for the position, but the Hurricanes have shown they’re willing to shuffle pieces around.
Fitzgerald’s case is built on versatility. He has the coverage skills and speed to blitz the quarterback, which the role demands, and if he slides into nickelback, Thornton could remain at safety while freshman James “JJ” Dunnigan Jr. potentially gets more chances.
Fitzgerald said in spring that he was comfortable lining up at nickelback or anywhere else in the secondary. That kind of flexibility matters for a player with NFL ambitions, and Fitzgerald will be draft-eligible after the 2027 college football season.
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