Hard as rock, small as pebbles, let’s say some words about University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish rising Junior safety Nicco Fertitta!
Raise your hand if you thought Nicco Fertitta was only recruited to keep the Bishop Gorman pipeline flowing while adding a special teams body. Okay Nicco, you get one hit on each of the people with their hands raised.
But seriously, Nicco was a little-acclaimed 3* coming out of Bishop Gorman in 2014, with a famous dad (former UFC Ultimate Fighting owner!) and a reputation for big hits. Now? Second string at free safety following Spring ball. And he contributed 17 tackles last year between coverage teams and spot duty at safety. Not bad.
3 Things to Know About Nicco Feritta:
1 He’s “five foot nothing, one hundred and nothing” (loosely) and he likes to hit.... Lest you think it’s just a Notre Dame archetype we’re projecting here, consider that his mom had to be convinced to continue to let him play football as a kid, not out of concern for his welfare, but for the sake of the kids he was putting hits on! “...She’d be on the sideline crying for the other kids. It kind of hurt her a little bit.”
2. He plays safety. Yep, he does more than hit people. He recorded 4 interceptions his senior year at Bishop Gorman, starring on the nation’s #1 ranked high school team. He was considered reliable enough last year that he was a semi-regular backup at safety, besides his special teams duties.
3 His family is… fun? Brian Kelly on his Las Vegas in-home with the Fertittas: “‘I had more fun on that home visit than any home visit I’ve ever done,’ Kelly said. ‘His sister (Angela), who was 13 or 14 at the time, asked me more questions than Lorenzo, the dad. And he made me do some things that I regretted the next morning.’” (Courtesy of Notre Dame Insider) How have I not come across this quote before? Which gets me to thinking... Too bad Lavar Ball and Jim Harbaugh will never have a recruiting meeting.
YouTube Hot Fire:
He was quite the safety in high school! A little ball hawking too, not just big hits.
I, Breezy B, Dub thee:
Pillows… Nicco “Pillows” Fertitta.
Why? Because when Nicco hits someone apparently they go so limp they remind him of pillows. “...When you hit someone right, it’s the best. It feels like you’re hitting pillows. It’s kind of indescribable.” You just described it! Don’t sell yourself short!
2017 Forecast
After watching his highlight film from high school, being reminded of his contributions last year, and watching him star in the Spring ball tackling drills, I’m buying on Fertitta. Now buying a Fertitta is well outside my means, but if you guys go in with me, we’ll get in on the ground floor!
I think he will hang on to his second string spot at free safety as opposed to being passed up, or having Drue Tranquil return to strong safety, bump Jalen Elliott to #2, and push Devin Studstill over to backup free safety. Theoretically a possibility.
I see Fertitta getting 35 tackles between back up snaps at safety and special teams duty, and getting that first interception!