Mason Nelson
Mason Nelson
Wins his gap play after play. Mason Nelson has played for three head coaches across five seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 2 tackles against Kentucky — Week 13, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Western Michigan | 31 | 13 | 8.5 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Western Michigan | 32 | 16 | 5.0 | 3.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Western Michigan | 8 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Western Michigan | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 78 | 34 | 15.5 | 7.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Vanderbilt
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Vanderbilt
Returning around him
- 1 Vanderbilt player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -1 net (18 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Vanderbilt · Last season: 10-3 (AP #13) · Talent rank #55 · 2026 recruiting class #33
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Tavian Coleman’s 2023 season.
Matches Tavian on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Lawrence Johnson's senior season at Auburn (2023).
Matches Lawrence on
Differs from Lawrence on