Nicholson solidifying himself in starting lineup
Mississippi State senior DeCarlos Nicholson has blossomed into one of the Bulldogs' best defensive backs this season, but it’s been a long and weary process to get to that point.
Nicholson spent most of the 2022 season putting in the dirty work on special teams while Emmanuel Forbes and Decamerion Richardson held it down at cornerback for the Bulldogs. With Forbes moving on to the NFL as a first round draft pick by the Washington Commanders, an opportunity arose for another cornerback to crack the starting lineup opposite of Richardson.
When Mississippi State took the field against Southeastern Louisiana Week 1, that starter wasn’t Nicholson.
Graduate Esaias Furdge won the starting job in training camp and played the majority of the snaps in the season opener. Furdge started in the Bulldogs’ next game against Arizona, but after committing two penalties in the first half, Nicholson got his shot against a talented Wildcat receiving corps, and he didn't disappoint.
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura connected on multiple deep shots down field on his way to 342 passing yards, but none of those came against Nicholson. In 32 snaps in coverage Nicholson was lockdown. The long 6-foot-3 cornerback was targeted only four times and allowed only five yards when de Laura threw his way.
"I just thought DeCarlos played without being hesitant," defensive coordinator Matt Brock said. "I was proud of him for doing that.”
Nicholson has seemingly solidified his starting spot after playing 76 of Mississippi State's 77 defensive snaps in the 41-14 loss to LSU. It was an overall ugly day for the Bulldog defense as Jayden Daniels threw for 361 yards with 239 of those yards going to Malik Nabers, but Nicholson continued to be a bright spot by allowing only 23 yards in coverage in making eight tackles.
While many players would be satisfied with being named a starter, Nicholson is keeping the same mindset he had when he was fighting for a spot. He's got a chip on his shoulder to prove to everyone that he can get the job done.
"Just keep attacking every day," Nicholson said. "Try to find something to get better at every day. Bring something to the table for the team and prove to these guys that I won't let them down and that I can get the job done for them. It starts in practice every day."
Nicholson's path to starting cornerback in the SEC wasn't the one usually taken. Nicholson had been a quarterback all of his life, and despite leading Petal High School to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the Mississippi 6A State Semi-Final, he was an afterthought on the recruiting trail.
Nicholson ended up taking the Juco route at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he continued to play quarterback. He didn’t see much action during his freshman season and transitioned to the defensive backfield as a sophomore.
That transition paid off big time for Nicholson, as he began to collect offers from numerous Power Five programs, including Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida State, Kentucky and Baylor. Nicholson changed his mind a few times during the recruiting process, committing to Mississippi State during the summer of 2021 and flipping to Kentucky that fall, but ultimately, he decided to flip back to the Bulldogs on signing day.
Nicholson began to excel when he got to Mississippi State last year. Cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath and head coach Zach Arnett, who was then the defensive coordinator, helped Nicholson develop the fundamentals at his new position and, more importantly, instilled an aggressive mindset in him.
"I credit the defensive coaches here showing me the type of aggression that you’ve got to have. The focus you’ve got to have," Nicholson said. "Down to the smallest things. Just doing your job. Fundamentals. Doing what you’re being taught to do in your job within the scheme and the system and trusting that the other ten guys will do their job. It won’t work if you’re not doing your job, so that’s what’s really gotten me here."
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