[OutsiderFan]

Maybe Terrence Alexander is not good enough.No coach is going to tell a recruit we see you as a nickel.Should he have redshirted or not.Game reps didn't count in his case.

What?  Why would you redshirt a guy if he isn't good enough to be a starting CB, but is good enough to make a contribution to the team?  Wouldn't you want him to matriculate ASAP to clear his scholarship for a better player? 

But what is wrong with playing Nickel anyway?  The NFL in fact is moving away from the concept of the traditional Safety.  They are preferring to play CBs, or more smaller guys who are faster and quicker.  This is for two reasons:

1. The NFL is a much more pass-oriented league than it used to be, not in terms of how many passing plays there are, but in terms of the number of receivers on the field.

2. The rules against hard hits make having a physical thumper a much less valuable commodity than it used to be.

So in reality, Alexander is setting himself up for an NFL opportunity if he can play the Nickel spot. Moreover, slot receivers tend to be a bit smaller than your typical X and Z receivers, so being a short Nickel CB is not going to do detrimental, and might even be beneficial to one's NFL career aspirations.

[OutsiderFan]

Maybe Terrence Alexander is not good enough.No coach is going to tell a recruit we see you as a nickel.Should he have redshirted or not.Game reps didn't count in his case.

What?  Why would you redshirt a guy if he isn't good enough to be a starting CB, but is good enough to make a contribution to the team?  Wouldn't you want him to matriculate ASAP to clear his scholarship for a better player? 

But what is wrong with playing Nickel anyway?  The NFL in fact is moving away from the concept of the traditional Safety.  They are preferring to play CBs, or more smaller guys who are faster and quicker.  This is for two reasons:

1. The NFL is a much more pass-oriented league than it used to be, not in terms of how many passing plays there are, but in terms of the number of receivers on the field.

2. The rules against hard hits make having a physical thumper a much less valuable commodity than it used to be.

So in reality, Alexander is setting himself up for an NFL opportunity if he can play the Nickel spot. Moreover, slot receivers tend to be a bit smaller than your typical X and Z receivers, so being a short Nickel CB is not going to do detrimental, and might even be beneficial to one's NFL career aspirations.