Kent State is right fit for Franklin Regional lineman Andrew Nesler

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, January 29, 2023 | 4:22 PM

Andrew Nesler, a football lineman who circled back to Franklin Regional after a short spell at a prep school, has mapped out a future at the NCAA Division I level.

Nesler, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound lineman, has accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity at Kent State.

A “significant” part of his financial package, he said, is academic-based because he is pursuing a degree in the honors college to become a professional pilot.

Nesler was flying high when he made his announcement Sunday.

He was recruited as an interior defensive lineman.

“I am so blessed. It feels like the stars have aligned, and my dreams are coming true,” he said. “Kent is the best fit for me both academically and athletically.”

Nesler also wrestles at Franklin Regional.

Other Division I schools pursued Nesler, including Stonehill, New Hampshire and Bryant.

He played this past season at The Hill School, a prep academy in Pottstown, about 70 miles east of Hershey.

Joe Manion, who recruited Nesler while he was coaching at Harvard, is the director of player development at Kent State. The offer stemmed from that acquaintance.

“Kent was the clear choice as an FBS school, as well as a top aviation school,” Nesler said.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional