SI

Nick Nash was skeptical. As San José State’s star senior receiver looked across at his new head coach, Ken Niumatalolo, this spring, his mind was torn. Nash knew all about Niumatalolo's past at Navy, where he exclusively ran the triple option. The situation, Nash said, was scary. Nash arrived at San José State as an athlete with no discrete position. He had no other major offers. He started his career at quarterback before realizing by the end of the 2022 season that he didn’t have much of a future under center. Suddenly, his future at wideout appeared murky—diminished in a run-heavy offense. Niumatalolo knew why Nash was concerned, but he also knew his new offensive coordinator, Craig Stutzmann, had the goods to change Nash's mind. “Just give us a chance,” Niumatalolo told Nash. “I’ve got a guy coming in that I know you're going to love his offense, and you're going to fit perfectly with what he does.”