60 in 60: #42 BYU’s John Nelson (Defensive Tackle)
Jul 2, 2024, 1:49 PM

SALT LAKE CITY – The countdown is on for Hans & Scotty’s 60 in 60 for the 2024 college football season. Coming in at No. 42 is BYU defensive tackle John Nelson.
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Nelson is the third BYU Cougar to check in on our ranking. He joins No. 47 Isaiah Bagnah (DE) and No. 46 Blake Mangelson (DE).
Hans & Scotty’s 2024 60 in 60 List
Throughout the summer, KSL Sports Zone’s Hans Olsen & Scott Garrard are counting down the top 60 college football players in the state of Utah as voted on by the media (and a fan ballot).
BYU’s John Nelson
Born in Salem, Utah, Nelson played high school football with the Salem Hills Skyhawks.
In his senior season, Nelson recorded 50 total tackles, 12 sacks, six tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.
Ranked as a three-star recruit and the 30th-best prospect in the state of Utah, Nelson was recruited by BYU, Idaho State, Weber State, Utah State, and Boise State.
In his freshman season with the Cougars, Nelson played in 13 games. He recorded 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
no escaping @johnnelson_65 😈 pic.twitter.com/FsQBCPRQzV
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 29, 2022
In 2022, he played in 13 games again but with 11 starts. He posted 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks.
Last season, Nelson dealt with a lot of injuries and only played in seven games with 0 starts as a result.
The Utah native will look to get back on the horse and hold it down in the trenches for BYU in his senior year.
Nelson comes from an athletic family. His brother, sister, and father all played college basketball. His mother played college basketball for BYU from 1989 to 1994.
What is the 60 in 60?
Every summer, Hans and Scotty reveal the best college football players in the state of Utah in their annual 60 in 60, which was voted on by the media.
RELATED: Complete 60 in 60 rankings countdown
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