All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. Here is a profile of safety DaKaari Nelson
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200 pounds
Hometown: Livingston, Alabama
Before Penn State: Nelson played at Alabama’s Selma High School and was a team captain for four years. He was named Class 5A first-team All-State three times. Nelson committed to Penn State in June 2022. After his commitment, he played his senior season, finishing with 72 tackles, seven interceptions, seven pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Nelson also scored on defense, running back a fumble and two interceptions for touchdowns. Nelson was a four-star prospect according to 247Sports’ composite ratings.
Where he stands: Penn State’s currently solid at safety. Fifth-year Keaton Ellis will provide leadership, and third-year Jaylen Reed is looking to break out. Penn State also has a safety who many feel will be a star in second-year KJ Winston. It will be hard for Nelson to see much time in 2023. But what he has going for him is his versatility.
Nelson’s build is a reason many believe he could he a linebacker for Penn State, so we’ll see what ends up developing.
A quote by Nelson: “I don’t have to focus on finding a home, because I’ve found a home now.”— Nelson to NSN the night he announced his commitment to Penn State
A quote about Nelson: “He’s an instinctive player,” Petagna said. “I think he shows flashes of that, and I think the ball production there. Eight interceptions is a lot, especially at the high school level. So I think that shows some indication of a guy that has a really good feel for the game.” — 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Cooper Petagna to NSN soon after Nelson’s commitment
