Countdown to Kickoff: 15 Days (Nick Westbrook)

Written by: Lydia Knoll (lydddknoll)

#15

There are now 15 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2016 season in Miami against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Join us each day for each part of our 100-day countdown to the opener! Current IU player, RashardFant., wears #15.

Nick Westbrook(Sophomore)

-Height: 6’3”

-Weight: 213 pounds

-Hometown: Lake Mary, FL

-Position: Wide Receiver

From Lake Mary, Florida, Nick Westbrook has one of the most impressive high school resumes. As a wide receiver for Coach Scott Perry, Westbrook recorded 84 receptions for a total of 1,853 yards and 21 touchdowns. He helped lead his team to an 11-1 record as well as back-to-back district championships. He was named all-state, all-district, and All-Central Florida his senior year. He also participated in the Orlando Sentinel’s 2015 Central Florida Super60 and came out ranked 5th in the program. In addition to lettering all four years in football, Westbrook also lettered in track and lacrosse.

As a true freshman at Indiana last season, Westbrook was one of few who saw the field on game day. However, his presence on the field wasn’t occasional but rather consistent as he appeared in all thirteen games. Westbrook caught a total of six passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. His personal best game came at the very end of last season, the Pinstripe Bowl against Duke. Leaving last season on such a good note can only give fans hope for what is to come from Westbrook this season.

With a stacked wide receiver lineup it’s hard to say just how much playing time Westbrook will get. Ahead of him are Simmie Cobbs, star receiver last year leading the team in catches (60) and yards (1035); Mitchell Paige, senior with reliable catch rate of 71.2%, and Ricky Jones, senior who came back from an injury and caught for 906 yards last season. Although these three will certainly see the field and likely start, there are several non-starters to be aware of. Including Westbrook, there is also Donavan Hale (10), Isaac James (13), Isaac Griffith (17), Chris Gajcak (39), Luke Timian (82), and Marqui Hawkins (86). Of these guys, Westbrook has the most experience and the size to be first on deck.

Fall camp has given Westbrook a chance to prove himself over the other non-starters and he has taken full advantage. His performance at camp has only solidified his spot and opened the possibility of a starting position later into the season, depending on the performance of Jones and Paige. 

Share any comments or memories about Nick Westbrook or the wide receivers in the comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day during our countdown!