First live evaluation of Oklahoma's 2025 Top-100 WR Jaden Nickens
This past Friday night was my first chance to get a live look at 2025 Millwood (Okla.) High wide receiver Jaden Nickens, who is in the initial Top-100 On3 consensus rankings. Although Texas A&M has not yet offered, having my connections and history in Oklahoma, I wanted to get an evaluation of someone who could be one of the top prospects in the 2025 class. I came away very impressed.
At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, it does not take long for Nickens to stand out on the field. And it is interesting, because while he is physically dominant over most around him, I don’t think he has physically matured yet. There is still some growing to be done, especially muscle mass, which he will get over time in the weight room. With three years of high school left, I could see him being in the 6-foot-4/5 range 200 pounds or more.
Millwood does not play an elite level of competition so he wins on the field at a high rate. Early in the game, it was clear why he has been ranked in the Top-100 from an early time.
Nickens already has good technique to go with his size
In a one-on-one matchup on the outside, Nickens took an inside release, chopped his feet after five yards, selling a comeback route, then broke back outside and hit the burners. His quarterback threw it down the sideline where Nickens tracked and brought it in over the shoulder, trotting into the endzone for the final 30-yards of the play. The play resulted in a 65-yard touchdown.
Millwood took a big lead early so Nickens was targeted sparingly in effort to get his teammates touches. But Nickens was unguardable in this game. He also played cornerback for his Millwood squad and was not targeted.
Nickens did exit the game just before halftime after landing on his shoulder, but he was most likely not going to play in the second half due to the large lead.
Possible Contenders
As of this time, Nickens holds offers from Texas Tech, UNT, and UTSA. But he will pick up many more in the coming months. Oklahoma State is a big fan of Nickens, hosting him on visits twice, this season. It is only a matter of time before an offer is extended. The same should go for Oklahoma, who has hosted him on a visit.
I would expect regional powers such as Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, LSU, Arkansas and others in the south to offer as well. Given the history of top prospects in the state of Oklahoma, there is decent chance he will stay in the state for college, whether it be in Stillwater or Norman.
He has more than the physical talent
One of the biggest things that stood out to me while watching Nickens was his demeanor and personality. He has a fiery prescence on the field is constantly hyping up himself and his teammates. He also has that mentality that he is the best on the field (he is) and that he should be able to show it. Especially in scoring situations, Nickens is pleading for a chance to make a play and score. I am a big fan of prospects that ‘want’ to make a play. Those are the guys that want to win the game for their team and that stands out to me. Nickens is one of those who has a competitive edge, which with his ability, is a good paring.