Flexibility the name of the game for Henry Weinreich at nickel

West Virginia nickels coach Henry Weinreich wants his unit to be smart, fast and physical.

Which fits the position perfectly, given all that it is required to do and the many different variations that the Mountaineers can use there. The nickel spot in the defense can be asked to be a slot cornerback or outside linebacker and is essentially the field overhang defender.

The nickel is almost a mirrored will linebacker to the field and they need to be effective blitzing on both the edge and inside, which is one of their key tasks on top of playing man and zone coverage.

“We really do a lot with that guy. So it could be a body from 5-foot-8, 190-pounds, he could be 6-foot-3, 240-pounds. It really just depends on what we’re trying to do in that game and who we got going,” Weinreich said. 

The ideal nickel would be 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, and can play man, blitz with speed but the adaptability of the position is something that opens the door to play many different types of players.

“Whatever body we have there we’ll just work to make the defense fit his best attributes, whether he’s a really good cover guy or he’s a good blitzer,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Because of that, Henreich believes that it lends itself to playing more people at the position to maximize what they do well and mix and match the looks. 

“So you try a different bunch of bodies and then you play to those skill sets,” he said. 

While players have been moved in and out at the position, Weinreich works with a core group of Fred Perry, Will Davis, Zae Jennings and Chris Fileppo. And it’s a position that is asked to do a lot.

“He might have the hardest job on the field, I mean, because he’s a linebacker, and he’s a corner, and sometimes he’s a defensive end, and occasionally he’s a three technique, you know, and so he does everything for us, you know, when you blitz him, when you move him around, he’s got to cover man, he’s got to cover zone, he’s got to understand where his fits are, and it’s a unique position,” coordinator Zac Alley said.

Still, the program is cross-training others who can play there from the safety and cornerback groups.

The nickel can also play the role of the SAM if the team is playing 12-personnel and has a tight end on the field, with the only difference being a bigger body to set the edge. 

Still, versatility is the key like most things in the defense.

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