This weekend is set to be a big final recruiting weekend before the early signing period for Tennessee. They’re scheduled to host a ton of recruiting targets and commits, and one of those prospects who will be in Knoxville is one of the top-rated junior college defensive linemen in the 2019 class.
Nick Figueroa is a JUCO defensive end who plays for Riverside City College in Riverside, California. Tennessee offered him back in late October, and his recruitment has blown up since then. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound lineman tweeted out on Thursday that he plans to visit Tennessee for his final official visit this weekend before he signs.
Finished my AA today! Headed to Knoxville tonight! ??
— Nick Figueroa ? (@nickafigueroa1) December 13, 2018
Back when Tennessee offered Figueroa, he was ranked in the 100s among JUCO prospects. He’s since been evaluated further, and he’s now the No. 21 overall JUCO player and No. 1 JUCO strong-side defensive end in the 2019 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Since the Vols offered him in late October, Figueroa has picked up offers from Indiana, Nebraska, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Illinois, USC, and Oregon. He already had offers from UCLA, Cal, Virginia Tech, Houston, and UCF before the Vols offered him.
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The Vols will be getting Figueroa’s last official visit before he decides where he wants to go for college. He intends to sign during the early signing period and enroll early at his school of choice. He’s already visited UCLA, USC, Virginia Tech, and Cal.
Originally, Figueroa signed on to play with Cal Poly at the FCS level coming out of high school, but after taking a redshirt year in 2017, he decided to take the JUCO route for the 2018 season. He played for Riverside and was a standout on the defensive line for them. He played both football and baseball for Cajon High School.
In high school, Figueroa didn’t start playing football till his senior season. He focused primarily on baseball till his final year of high school, and he was very successful as an outfielder and designated hitter. He had a .323 batting average as a junior and upped that to .337 as a senior and added three home runs, eight doubles, 24 RBI, and six stolen bases.
Once he started to play football, however, Figueroa found he excelled there as well.
In his one season of football in high school, Figueroa totaled 86 tackles, 12 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass break-ups according to his bio on Cal Poly’s website.
After redshirting in 2017, he joined Riverside for this past season, and he showed a knack for being extremely disruptive on defense.
Though he doesn’t have the bend a lot of scouts and coaches look for in a defensive end, Figueroa is very strong and has a variety of moves that helps him shed blocks. He has a very good bull rush and also possesses an effective spin move to get by blockers. Not only is Figueroa a pain for opposing quarterbacks, but he’s good at stopping the run too. He plays both inside and outside on the line, and that versatility helps him create tons of defensive opportunities. He’s incredibly strong and has a great frame. You can tell he’s still a bit raw and has more to learn, but there’s a lot to work with in terms of his motor and his skill set.
In 12 games for Riverside this season, Figueroa averaged almost a sack per game. He finished this season with 38 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss according to Riverside’s website.
Figueroa will be joined by several highly-rated recruits visiting Knoxville this weekend. Four-star running back Noah Cain, four-star wide receiver and Baylor commit Jaylen Ellis, and five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright are just some of the visitors scheduled to come to Tennessee this weekend.
The Vols already have a pair of JUCO defensive linemen committed to them in their 2019 class. Savion Williams, the No. 1 JUCO defensive tackle according to 247Sports, and three-star JUCO defensive tackle Darel Middleton are both committed to Tennessee in this cycle.
