Nicholas Palmer was an honorable mention All-Region player back in 2019 as a junior, and with another year under his belt, he is looking to make a push for the first team. At first glance, Palmer shows near-elite ball skills going up for a catch. There were flashes his junior year, sure, but just in the last three weeks here in 2020 Palmer has been making plays on another level.

Perhaps his best play of the season so far came last week against Hardaway that set his team up with a score. Going up against one of the top cornerbacks in the class of 2022, Palmer had his hands full, but at the snap, he beat the big-time corner and was open downfield. Junior Jonathan Powell was under pressure in the pocket, so heaved the ball up to his play-making senior. Palmer tract down the pass, rotated over, and high-pointed the football while leaning back, eventually falling down to the turf with the pigskin in his possession.

The electrifying play almost made routine, and if you check out the film above, you will continue to see more acrobatics from the senior. Speaking of film, Palmer has made a jump from one year to the next. Obviously, the offseason was productive for his development despite Covid-19 creating so many problems.

“The offseason hurt me because I was unable to go to camps this summer to get exposure, but I didn’t let that hold me back. During the summer, I worked on getting faster, stronger, and focused my run after the catch – something I didn’t do well in last season,” he said.

For sure, the lack of camp season has certainly affected seniors across the country more than we have ever seen, but conversely a lot of colleges’ are way behind in recruiting, and we think there is still a lot of opportunities. Players like Palmer who continue to shine amongst the competition are prime to grab some colleges’ attention.

“Colleges I’ve heard from so far are Columbia University, Berry College, Rhodes College, Methodist University, and Sterling College,” he said.

We are not surprised to see strong academic schools like Rhodes and Columbia going after Palmer, typically Columbus has very good students, and Palmer is no exception with a 4.0 GPA. His strong academics to go along with outstanding hand-eye coordination should only continue to boost the 6′ 180 lbs. receiver recruitment.

So what separates Palmer from others at his position?

“What separates me from others at my position are the 50-50 balls and being reliable when the team needs me to make a big play. I’m also not a selfish receiver when the ball doesn’t come my way I block for all my teammates and those blocks lead to touchdowns or big plays,” he said.

The blocking on film definitely stands out. Palmer puts in good work on the perimeter and is physical with his hands. His team-first mentality is reflected by the players he emulates his game after, both of who are no-drama players in the NFL.

“I model my game after Larry Fitzgerald and Amari Cooper; I stay humble on the field and do what is needed for my team to win.”

Palmer is definitely a solid receiver who runs good routes but even more impressive has been his ability to break off a route and find open spaces in the defense. He is a team-first player who will make a key block that seals off a defender to spring his teammate for a big play. Palmer’s attention to detail is impressive, and you have to like his selflessness.

Going into the final half of the season, we asked Palmer what are his final goals.

“My goal for the remainder of the season is to score 6-8 touchdowns, have +5 catches every game, and continue to be physical even when the ball is not in my hands.”

With his strong start to the season, we think Palmer is set to do just that and be a name to watch for during post-season accolades. We are definitely impressed and will be keeping tabs the remainder of the season on Palmer, and you should too, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter to see the latest film and recruiting news on Palmer and the rest of the players across the state of Georgia.

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