With Indiana football on the rise to a CFP appearance this season one former Hoosier is having a career year in the NFL. Titans WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine found himself as WR5 to start the season for the Tennessee squad but through injuries and trades he now finds himself receiving starer level snaps and is making the most of his opportunity.
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The College Years
A 3-star prospect coming out of Lake Mary Florida, Nick chose to play his college ball at Indiana. After a quiet freshman season NWI burst onto the scene as a sophomore catching 54 passes for 995 yards and 6 touchdowns. He could not capitalize on this excellent sophomore campaign however as a ligament year forced him to take a medical redshirt and completely ended his 2017 campaign. The 2018 and 2019 campaigns went well for NWI but neither reached the highs set by his sophomore 2016 campaign with both seasons failing to top 600 yards receiving. After the season Nick went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and signed with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA.
Early Titans Career
Like most UDFA’s NWI didn’t make the initial 53 his rookie year but was quickly stashed on the team’s practice squad to gain experience and be a game day call up as needed, and his rookie season ended much like his freshman season in college with limited snaps and game time. During his second season NWI established himself as a consistent tool for Titans QB Ryan Tannehill finishing the season with 476 yards receiving and starting 7 games after injuries moved him up the depth chart. Unfortunately, the Titans excellent season would end with a home playoff loss to the Bengals, where the final Titans drive was cut short after a pass from Tannehill tipped off of NWI’s hands and landed in the grasp of a Bengal’s player. This playoff blunder caused fans mood to sour on the UDFA product as ye was re-signed to a 1-year deal to return for 2022. Once again injuries and questionable roster moves left NWI with a starting opportunity as he finished 2022 with 13starts and just shy of 400 yards receiving. 2023 saw Nick once again re-sign with the Titans on a 1-year deal where he started 9 games and recorded 370 receiving yards for the team.
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2024 Breakout Season
Photo courtesy of Mark Zaleski – staff, Denver Gazette.com
Many Titans fans hoped that 2024 would be the year that the receiving depth chart finally saw the end of NWI as a mainstay in two-tone blue, as off-season acquisitions continued to pile up and push Nick further down the pecking order. Much to fan surprise however, Westbrook-Ikhine was not to be denied as final 53-man roster was announced, an injury to Treylon Burks and a trade of DeAndre Hopkins was all he needed to once again take his spot amongst the starters and from there he hasn’t let go. Starting in Week 6 NWI scored a touchdown in 4 consecutive games, ad currently has 8 total touchdowns only 20 receptions. He has also tied a franchise record for longest reception after bringing in a 98-yard reception against the Minnesota Vikings and currently sits tied for 4th for most receiving touchdowns in the NFL this season. Will this sudden outburst of end-zone production earn him the long-term contract he has been unable to obtain so far in his NFL career? Fans certainly seem to hope so.
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