Naval Academy Athletics

Accolades
• 2025 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll

• At Navy: Enters the fall listed as a starter on the depth chart ... he has been a starter in 18 games during his career (0 Fr // 9 So // 9 Jr) ... versatile lineman who can also play guard ... has earned 2 varsity letters.

•  2025: Member of the Mids’ starting offensive line unit that was named to the 2025 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll ... a starter in 9 of the 10 games in which he played in ... missed the first-3 games due to an injury sustained during fall camp ... helped Navy amass 524 yards of total offense in the win over #25 South Florida ... it was the 4th time in which Navy reached the 500-yard mark, but the 524 yards were the most by the Mids since their opener against VMI (556) ... made the start against Air Force where he was an instrumental part of an offensive unit that allowed QB Blake Horvath to record a school-record 469 yards of total offense (399 pass, 130 rush), while Eli Heidenreich caught 3 touchdown passes and became the first player in program history to top 200 yards receiving with 243 yards on the day ... Heidenreich also broke the school record for career touchdowns, while tying the program record with is 3 receiving TDs ... made his 1st appearance of the season in the Mids’ win over Rice.

•  2024: A starter in 9 of the 11 games in which he played ... member of Navy’s starting offensive line unit that was named to the Joe Moore Awards’ Midseason Honor Roll ... under the line’s protection, Eli Heidenreich became the first Navy player in program history with 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game, as the Mids defeated Air Force in Colorado Springs for the first time since 2012 ... Navy’s line paved the way for the Mids to score 38 or more points in their first 4 games for the first time in program history ... Navy’s 143 combined points in its first-3 games (49 Bucknell / 38 Temple / 56 Memphis) are the most by the Mids since 1918 when they scored 150 points ... against Memphis, Navy racked up 566 yards of total offense (361R / 205P), the 29th most in program history and the most since Nov. 1, 2019, when the Mids totaled 573 yards (408R / 165P) against UConn ... member of an offensive line that allowed Navy to amass 438 total yards (264R / 173P) in the opener against Bucknell ... it marked the most yards by the Mids since their 510-yard day against SMU on Oct. 14, 2022 ... additionally, it was the first time Navy has thrown 3 touchdowns in a game since Nov. 2, 2017 (3 vs. Temple) ... made his collegiate debut in the Mids’ win over Bucknell.

• 2023: Did not see any varsity action.

• High School / Personal: A 2022 graduate of Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., Nichols attended the Naval Academy Prep School during the 2022-23 academic year ... attended Myers Park High School in Charlotte his freshman and sophomore years ... two-sport athlete who earned letters in football (4) and track & field (1) ... three-time (So, Jr, Sr) All-Big South Conference football selection, who served as captain of the team his senior year ... earned North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association All-State (N.C.) honors as a senior ... selected to play in the Carolina Bowl his senior year ... led the football team to the NCISAA State Championship as a senior, as well as the track team ... brother, Jaylen, was an offensive lineman at South Carolina for 5 seasons, playing in 38 games and making 18 career starts, and at Memphis for 1 year ... son of Robert Nichols and Angela Pettis ... majoring in political science.