What Can Tight End Nick Storz Bring to the LSU Football Team in 2020?

Storz 6-foot-6, 262-pound frame will make him a unique player to watch in preseason camp

LSU coach Ed Orgeron shocked many on Tuesday morning when he announced that the team would be bringing Nick Storz, a pitcher on the baseball team, into the fold.

Storz is an interesting case as it’s been reported that he’s wanted to join the football team since his arrival in Baton Rouge three years ago. But after two years of dealing with an injured shoulder on the baseball team, the chances of joining seemed bleak at best.

Despite the shortened 2020 schedule, one of the bright spots to come out of the season was that Storz was finally healthy and contributing out of the bullpen. In six appearances for the Tigers, Storz carried a 1.04 ERA, allowing just one run in 8.2 innings pitched and striking out nine batters.

"I feel great, I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been here," Storz said in an interview on "After Further Review" Wednesday. "Everything's going pretty smooth."

So with health no longer a concern, Storz finally thought it was his time to pursue his other dream of playing football in Death Valley. About three weeks ago, Storz reached out to Orgeron to gauge the interest and LSU was able to find a spot for him.

He's been working out with the team for the last two weeks and is loving every bit of it. Orgeron has liked what he's seen from the sophomore and thinks Storz will be able to help the Tigers this season.

"He's a phenomenal football player, a phenomenal tight end and I think he's going to help us," Orgeron said Tuesday.

"He said they'd love to have me, you're a big body and he was fired up," Storz said. "Obviously I'll have to earn my spot and fight for a starting position and we'll see what comes from there."

There is a catch with Storz joining football. As part of NCAA rules, Storz will have to forfeit his scholarship with baseball and earn a scholarship for the football team. Storz wanted to make sure he had a spot on football before making the announcement.

"That's why I didn't announce it yet because I wanted to earn the football scholarship first, but I guess I've been doing pretty well with football that coach O went ahead and said it," Storz said.

What made the transition so much easier, Storz said, was the support he's received from Paul Mainieri and the entire LSU baseball staff.

"I didn't know what he was going to say, but he was fired up," Storz said. "That was amazing to hear. I can't thank the whole coaching staff over at baseball enough. For them to welcome this decision that I'm going to go play football has been awesome.”

So with that football dream now starting to become reality, what exactly is Storz' background on the field? In his interview with Matt Moscona on Wednesday, Storz revealed that he played his freshman and sophomore year before taking a break as a junior. 

It wasn't until his senior year he started to get noticed for football and that was because his teammate was five-star offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, who eventually wound up at Georgia and became a first-round pick this year. When coaches went out to scout Wilson, they couldn't help but notice the 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end that was making plays all over the field.

While no official offers came through for football, Storz did receive verbal offers from Michigan and Miami to play both football and baseball.

Currently, Storz is 6-foot-6, 261 pounds and said the football staff likes where he's at in terms of playing weight.

"I think I'm the heaviest tight end of the group right now and one of the tallest," Storz said. "So I think they want to keep me where I'm at right now."

Freshman Arik Gilbert figures to be the runaway starter and the staff is excited by fellow freshman Kole Taylor's potential. Outside of those two, Jamal Pettigrew and Tory Carter are the only real veteran tight ends on the roster.

If Storz can prove himself early in preseason camp, while he likely won't be a starter from the jump, he could assert himself as a key rotational piece in the redzone or perhaps on third down situations.

Maurice Hampton Jr., who also plays football and baseball, is somebody that Storz has picked the brain of a ton since taking on this endeavor of juggling two sports.

"I talk to him a lot and he said it's a lot of fun," Storz said. "He said when it's football season, just focus on football and when it's baseball season, just focus on baseball. That's the approach I'm gonna go with.

"I'm making football my main priority right now, I'm fully bought in and I'm going to do whatever it takes to earn a spot and help this team win," Storz said. "I'll get my baseball work in during the fall and do what's necessary to keep my arm loose but I'm fully bought into this football team."