GoBlackKnights.com continues our series on players we think will be Breakout Players in 2017 with a look at another defensive player.

Junior linebacker, James Nachtigal has much in common with our initial selection, Scott Washle. Both were backups to members of the JAAK Attack last season, and both are expected to step into starting jobs vacated by the two senior members of that unit. While Washle moves directly up from #2 to #1 in the depth chart at MLB, Nachtigal took a less direct path to what we anticipate will become his breakout season at WILL. He was a member of special teams as a plebe, with appearances in all 12 games, and in 2016 he became the backup to Kenneth Brinson at RUSH. Despite seeing limited action, he demonstrated his potential with 16 Total Tackles, and finished 4th on the team in Tackles for Loss with 5, and fourth in Sacks with 3.5. He was also credited with a Forced Fumble and a Pass Breakup.

When we interviewed defensive coordinator Jay Bateman about members of the JAAK Attack last season, he had this to say about Nachtigal: “I wish we could play him more but he’s playing behind Kenny (Brinson) and playing behind Alex (Aukerman) and so he is just not getting as many reps. But when we get him out there, where he’s in a couple of different packages, he’s playing at a high level.”

With Aukerman and Brinson back for another season, the best way to get Nachtigal more playing time was to move him to WILL, where he replaces Jeremy Timpf.