100 Questions: Something new at nickel?

In an attempt to pass the time this off-season we're fortunate to have secured the help of scottwildcat from Boscoe's Boys. Scott is going to provide 100 questions about the past, present, future (and who-knows-what) involving Kansas State sports, and I'll do my very best to answer them.

Let's dive in to the 100 Questions.

Question No. 97: Does Scottie Hazleton want to implement one true nickelback position or fall in line with the new fad of having a heavy nickel and a light nickel?

UPDATE: In today's press conference Chris Klieman referenced trying Walter Neil at cornerback this fall after leaving him at nickel through the spring. The K-State head coach referenced Jonathan Durham as working with the ones and also Jonathan Alexander as pushing for time at the spot.

I'm going to open this piece with the most helpful answer you can give to any question: I don't know.

I have some thoughts, though.

I haven't specifically asked defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton about this (I will during camp, however, when we have opportunities to speak with him), but my inclination right now is to believe the Wildcats will try and stick with a single option at nickel, all things being equal.

I think this based mostly off of how much praise Hazelton and a variety of assistants heaped upon Walter Neil during the spring, making me think he's going to be the guy at nickel as long as he's healthy.

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The reason Scott asks, and what he references in the question, is a trend you see of some programs going to a 'heavy' nickel and a 'coverage' nickel option.

Virtually nobody really plays a base 4-3 in college football anymore, as offenses force teams into nickel and dime formations a vast majority of the time. What some try and do, however, is prepare two different players to play the nickel spot, which in some ways will just end up looking like an outside linebacker in a traditional 4-3.

There were times this spring where I saw Jonathan Alexander line up in what looked like a 4-3 outside backer but was probably just more of a 'big' nickel.

Alexander is a safety, but at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds the junior college transfer is bigger than projected starting linebacker Elijah Sullivan (6-foot, 210) and would fit in with a number of K-State's linebackers.

Again, I get the sense K-State is going to want to stick with Neil as much as possible, but perhaps the Wildcats could go to Alexander in instances where they suspect run but still don't want to trust a third linebacker potentially getting thrown into coverage duties.

I'm looking forward to asking Hazelton his preference on this, and in seeing how he uses the position in general in 2019.