Miami quarterback Luke Nickel was nearly perfect leading Alpharetta Milton to a 56-42 win over Fairburn Langston Hughes for the Georgia 5A state championship. Nickel was 21-22 for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Milton finished the season 15-0. Nickle is one of the highest-rising players in the 2025 class.
Chad Simmons of On3 summarized Nickel's performance leading Milton to its second consecutive state championship. Nickel is the 265th-ranked prospect, 23rd QB and 37th player in Georgia in the 2025 class in the On3 Recruiting Industry Rankings. Nickel projects to be the highest-rated QB on the 2025 Miami roster.
With Cam Ward completing his eligibility after setting several Miami passing records, Nickel now has an opportunity to compete for the Hurricanes' starting quarterback in 2025 with returning rising redshirt sophomore Emory Williams and redshirt freshman Judd Anderson.
Miami could still add a QB through the 2025 transfer portal. Nickel finished his high school career completing 64.2 percent of his pass attempts for 10,164 yards, 107 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, a 121.1 passer rating with 700 rushing yards and another 15 scores.
"Luke Nickel was sharp all night, and he mixed in a few nice runs to go with the precision passes. It is hard to name another player in Georgia who has improved more than Nickel over the last two seasons. Over the last two seasons, Nickel has helped Milton go 28-2 with two state championships."Chad Simmons, On3
Andrew Ivins, the 247Sports Director of Scouting credited Nickel as a "A full-field reader that’s at his best when looking to attack the second level of a defense...Throws an accurate, catchable ball and can beat coverages with touch. Will pick apart defenses when plays stay on schedule and the pocket is kept clean,"
Ivins was concerned that Nickel's arm can present some limitations. Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson was able to open up more this season with Cam Ward pushing the ball downfield more often. Nickel is likely a long shot to start as a true freshman in 2025, but projects long-term as a first-team QB.