The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan State wide receiver Keith Nichol will join teammate QB Kirk Cousins for the Washington Redskins rookie mini-camp Thursday. Nichol went undrafted last weekend, but said he received multiple inquiries from teams. A conversation with Cousins, his college roommate, convinced Nichol to take a shot with the Redskins.
He faces long odds. Washington is deep at the position and has shed veterans Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney after signing free agents Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. The team hopes that 2011 third-round pick Leonard Hankerson steps up as a starter. Young players Terrence Austin and Aldrick Robinson and wiley veteran Santana Moss are in the mix.
Nichol would face the same odds at other teams. Cousins gives him an edge.
if Cousins is a legend in East Lansing, Nichol is a campus hero after he caught Cousins’ Hail Mary pass to edge the Wisconsin Badgers in a 2011 regular season game.
Nichol began his college career with the Oklahoma Sooners deep on the depth chart behind Sam Bradford. He transferred to Michigan State hoping to start as the Spartans quarterback. He lost that competition to Cousins then moved to wide receiver when head coach Mark Dantonio said he needed the help there.
I have a ton of respect for Nichol (I’m a Spartans alum), but as a Redskins analyst, I am bound to point out that Nichol comes to Washington with less to show than Devin Thomas who had one big year for Michigan State in 2007. Undoubtedly, Cousins asked the ‘Skins to look at Nichol who is the kind of character guy that Head Coach Mike Shanahan likes. Character counts, but it may not be enough.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
