Isaiah Nimmers emerges as a starting safety for UNI

CEDAR FALLS - One of the clear things heading into the season opener for the Northern Iowa football team was the situation in the secondary was unclear.

Throughout fall camp the list of potential contributors at cornerback or safety didn't tighten up like most of the other positions. Instead, names like Nikholi Jaghai, Xavior Williams, Keelon Brookins, and Isaiah Nimmers remained a part of the conversation in the lead up to the season opener.

Then, when the two-deep made its first appearance last Monday, it wasn't too surprising to see that Cedar Rapids Washington alumnus Isaiah Nimmers had won a starting job. But it was surprising to see the starting job was at safety.

Recruited as a cornerback, Nimmers didn't start playing safety until the last week of this past spring's practices. At the time of his move to safety the Panthers were coming off a season where the production at the position was on an all-conference level with incumbents Elijah Campbell and A.J. Allen. However, once Campbell was moved to cornerback in fall camp, the door swung open for Nimmers and company at safety.

How'd he win the job? Well, besides the physical tools that have been there since coming to Cedar Falls, Nimmers began to put in extra time that he knew would put himself in a position to win a starting spot.

'I go in and watch film with coach all the time during the morning,” Nimmers said. 'As soon as I get the plays down (I could) start playing fast again. I feel that was my biggest problem last year - I wasn't playing fast enough. I really didn't know what I was doing. I didn't have the playbook down. Knowing those plays really made the difference. I go at least 30 minutes before practice to just go work on my technique, so by the time practice comes I know what I'm doing.”

After a Week 1 performance that included four tackles in a tough 42-24 loss to Iowa State, Nimmers echoed his head coach's comments earlier in the week that it wasn't great, but it was an ‘OK' performance.

'It was a good feeling just being back out on the field. I hadn't been on the field in two years,” Nimmers said. 'Then, another thing was, on Iowa State I've got a bunch of former high school teammates. So it was good seeing them, and playing against them too.”

As far as Nimmers' future as the Panthers starting safety, look no further than Farley's remarks about the position at his Week 1 press conference.

(Safety is) a part that's ready to move at anytime because that dynamic will change for the first three weeks of the season,” Farley said. 'So we'll see who can play because they're all new back there. And their greatest test is the first game.”

Nimmers may not have aced his first test, but he certainly didn't fail it either. The dynamic changes with Cal Poly's run-heavy triple-option offense coming to the UNI-Dome at 4 p.m. Saturday. So perhaps the position is 'ready to move” like Farley alluded to a week ago. Regardless, it seems safe to say that Nimmers has solidified himself as one of this UNI defense's contributors.