Interview: 3-Star 2020 LB Austin Nicholas Talks Cal Visit and Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

Dangerous – that is the best way to describe the La Costa Canyon High School team in 2018 with the defense they are putting on the field. The Mavericks are 5-1 on the year with big wins over Cathedral Catholic and San Clemente suffering their first loss of the season on Friday in a 12-8 defensive struggle against San Marcos. The leader of the southern California defense earning a reputation for one of the state’s best is Austin “Ozzie” Nicholas, and the California Golden Bears are getting a head start on the competition along the recruiting trail.

Nicholas is that talented linebacker capable of doing anything and everything asked of him at the position. After making his way to a starting role with La Costa Canyon as a freshman playing tight end with snaps at linebacker, he steamrolled onto the scene during his sophomore campaign earning first team All-Avocado League honors. The play of the 6-1, 225-pound, defender has brought early offers from hometown San Diego State and Cal with interest mounting from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools and beyond.

I caught up with the three-star 2020 recruit to check in on his season to date and get the inside scoop on his visit over the weekend to Cal.

*Click link for August 29, 2018, RNG interview with Ozzie Nicholas

Interview

Ozzie, we spoke preseason about all your hard offseason work. Now that the Mavericks are six games into the 2018 season, where are you seeing the biggest improvements in your game?

“I am seeing the biggest improvements in my game with my knowledge of the defense and everything, every position, around me. I feel like I understand what is going on with all the positions on the field. It helps me out mentality knowing what I am doing before the play starts. Physically, I am engaging with linemen, that has improved a lot. With pulling guards and fullbacks, I am reading the plays quicker and that has gotten a lot easier for me.”

How are offenses trying to work around you or how are they scheming against you in hopes of limiting your impact on the game?

“I have noticed it. They are trying to split me out in trips to get me out of the box out in the open to run it up the middle when I am not in the box. They are trying to split me out to guard a receiver. They are also trying to run away from me and on RPO (run-pass option), they are reading me on those. If I read run, I fit run fast, they can throw it behind me. Those are the most obvious ones I am seeing. In the run game, in the box they cannot avoid me. I get some double-teams every once in a while but I can outrun the offensive linemen, shed them, or avoid them.”

Which game has been your best this season?

“The Cathedral Catholic game. That was a five-sack game for me. It was a big game to start the season off. That was the most exciting game for me. The past couple of games have been good but do not compare to the opening game of the season.”

Going into recruiting, which schools are showing interest but have not offered yet?

“I have a lot of letters and interest coming in from schools like UCLA, Washington, Stanford, Notre Dame – I am going up there soon, the Florida Gators, and Washington State. I have received a lot of unofficial invites, game day invites, but I cannot make them all. I am getting mail on a daily basis from a bunch of different schools. I have been contacted by every school in the Pac-12 except Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona.”

Over the weekend, I know you visited Cal. How did that visit go?

“It was amazing. My parents and I got up there early in the day. We met up with their recruiting director and his assistant. We got to go onto the field for pregame warm-ups. I talked to Coach (Justin) Wilcox (head coach) then, I was not expecting that. I talked to him for a while and I talked to the defensive coordinator, Coach (Tim) DeRuyter for a while. It was an individual thing, which was pretty cool. I also got to speak with my position coach, Coach (Peter) Sirmon. That was great as well.”

You got to go on the field before the game for warm-ups and talked to the coaches, what else did you get to do and see?

“I got to see their facilities, their facilities are awesome. We took a tour and went in-depth on the program. We went to the tutoring room and went up to the skybox to see the view. They were really cool to my parents and me. We asked a lot questions and learned a lot about the program and the school They had answers for all our questions. Later in the day, I had lunch with Coach Sirmon; that was more individual time with the staff. We talked a lot. It was awesome. The energy at the game was crazy too, they treated us really well. I was impressed. I had a great time.”

What are your lasting impressions of the visit?

“The entire visit, I really liked Cal. They made me love the school even more. I was welcomed there, they showed that they cared, and that they are as interested in me as I am in them. I was excited.”

You mentioned Notre Dame a minute ago, what upcoming visits might you take?

“Yes. I am planning on visiting Notre Dame, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington. The Washington visit is not fully locked in yet, but they want me up there.”

Ozzie, always great catching up with you, good luck with the rest of the season and with your upcoming visits.

“Thank you.”

 

Photo credit: Nicholas family; Ozzie Nicholas at Cal