Clear Springs offensive lineman Garrett Nickelson has had a busy spring, with visits to Texas and Houston in recent weeks, in addition to scheduled stops coming up for SMU, Louisiana Tech and Tulsa.
The brother of current Texas offensive lineman Tristan Nickelson, Garrett said his recent stop by the Texas campus was an eye-opener, including the time spent with the UT coaches.
"The coaches really stood out to me. That was the first time I got to meet coach (Derek) Warehime," Nickelson said. "Their new locker room is going to be really nice. I just really liked meeting the whole coaching staff."
During his visit, which took place on Sunday, February 26 as part of a mini junior day, Nickelson and the other recruits saw a video presentation of the facility upgrades that are in store. He also got to hear the message from UT head coach Tom Herman, who Nickelson said is laser focused, yet still relatable.
"They're pretty intense. Definitely coach Herman is pretty intense, but he's also personal with you. He's intense but tries to connect you on personal level," Nickelson said. "You can just tell by the way he talked, by the way he walked around - he's just there to win."
The Texas coaches invited Nickelson to come back to campus for spring practices and for summer camps. The Longhorns haven't offered, but Nickelson said Texas is still in a great position with him.
"They're probably top of my list right now. I've got to see a lot of stuff over the years with my brother there," Nickelson said. "I really love the atmosphere, the fans, the coaches."
Nickelson can lean on his brother to gain knowledge of the inner workings of the Texas program, and he can also pick up recruiting pointers. Tristan Nickelson actually attended a military academy after graduating from Clear lake, then attended a junior college before eventually committing to Texas. That extra time allowed his body to develop and Tristan's dedication paid off, allowing him to land at Texas.
"I think he really taught me to be patient," Garrett Nickelson said. "He went to two (schools) before Texas. He told me to wait for it, work for it, not get down."
And what has Tristan told his younger brother about the first few months under Tom Herman's watch?
"He said it's totally different. He's tired every night. He said he's never felt like that before," Garrett said.
Following the Texas visit, Nickelson made his way to Houston as an invited guest for an unofficial visit. He met with new UofH offensive line coach Chris Scelfo and hear more about what the Houston coaches have planned to maintain the momentum they've built up over the past couple years.
"I really got to talk to coach Scelfo at the end of the junior day, really sit down with him, learn what his top values are, what he wants to do coming in as a player," Nickelson said. "He really valued becoming a family within the o-line, not making you just a better football player, but also after football.
"He said their head coach (Major Applewhite) and coach (Kenith) Pope are ready to offer, but he's only been there for a few weeks. They invited me to one of their spring practices."
The 6-5, 285-pound Nickelson is still waiting for his first wave of offers to come in. When that happens, he said he doesn't want to rush into a decision.
"I'd really like to take it slowly, think about every offer as they come in, make sure I choose the right one," Nickelson said.
Nickelson is ranked as a three-star prospect.
