Kimar Nelson brings freshman juice and special-teams splash to NIU's linebacker room
In the 2025 season, freshman linebacker Kimar Nelson (6-2, 220) flashed in limited action for Northern Illinois and even blocked a punt against UMass, a nice marker of his effort and anticipation.[5][15] He profiles as an energetic, physical defender with upside because he already impacts games in high-leverage moments, but his current resume is still small, so he looks more like a developmental fit than an instant-load-bearing starter.[1][2][10]
