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Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player’s background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Penn State will be tested at depth with the linebacker position in 2025, but DaKaari Nelson will be one of the younger options to watch continue to grow. Nelson appeared in 14 games in a reserve role for the Nittany Lions in 2024, and he is hoping to continue to develop in the defense in 2025 to get some more opportunities.
Hometown: Livingston, Alabama
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220 lb
Class in 2025: Redshirt Sophomore
Class of 2023: 4-stars | No. 11 in Alabama | No. 10 overall safety
Nelson was heavily recruited around the country, and Penn State wasn't even a part of the first few schools to give Nelson an offer. Nelson committed to Penn State a couple of weeks after he took an official visit in June 2022. His final six were Clemson, Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, and Penn State.
Penn State will have a slightly new look on the field with its new defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, so there will be one less traditional spot on the field for a linebacker. Penn State should be set at the top with Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas leading the charge in the middle of the defense, leaving Nelson to play a reserve role at the position in 2025. Nelson will likely be three deep on the depth chart when things settle for the fall, but his jump in appearances in 2024 from his first season with the program suggests fans will see him out there often enough in 2025.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 2025 Penn State Football: DaKaari Nelson's player profile
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Penn State will be tested at depth with the linebacker position in 2025, but DaKaari Nelson will be one of the younger options to watch continue to grow. Nelson appeared in 14 games in a reserve role for the Nittany Lions in 2024, and he is hoping to continue to develop in the defense in 2025 to get some more opportunities.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Livingston, Alabama
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220 lb
Class in 2025: Redshirt Sophomore
Recruiting Rankings
Class of 2023: 4-stars | No. 11 in Alabama | No. 10 overall safety
Nelson was heavily recruited around the country, and Penn State wasn't even a part of the first few schools to give Nelson an offer. Nelson committed to Penn State a couple of weeks after he took an official visit in June 2022. His final six were Clemson, Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, and Penn State.
Career Stats
| Games | Tackles | Sacks | INT | FF | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Depth Chart Overview
Penn State will have a slightly new look on the field with its new defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, so there will be one less traditional spot on the field for a linebacker. Penn State should be set at the top with Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas leading the charge in the middle of the defense, leaving Nelson to play a reserve role at the position in 2025. Nelson will likely be three deep on the depth chart when things settle for the fall, but his jump in appearances in 2024 from his first season with the program suggests fans will see him out there often enough in 2025.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 2025 Penn State Football: DaKaari Nelson's player profile
Continue reading...
