Do the Hawkeyes have the next Riley Moss in John Nestor?

When one great player leaves, everyone ventures to guess who the next great one will be. In the cornerback room, John Nestor has garnered comparisons to former All-American Riley Moss.

“I’m not Riley,” the sophomore said of the comparison. “I’m not Coop. Those are some of the greatest players to come through this program.”

Looks are a big part of why the comparisons originated, according to Xavier Nwankpa.

“They come into the facility, they rock the same clothes,” Nwankpa said. “Riley would come in with a [white tank top] every day, John hasn’t got the backwards hat yet.”

“Obviously, they both play corner,” defensive coordinator Phil Parker said.

It’s the sacrifice that goes into becoming a great defensive back that has drawn comparisons between the two. Everyone wants to play, but as a freshman Nestor had to earn his right to travel with the team and play special teams.

“The things that are required set me back a little bit,” Nestor said. “It made me understand what it really takes to be great. I had to walk into a new program, a very strong defensive program with very strong-minded defensive coaches.”

But it’s that eagerness that gives Nestor a shot at playing on Phil Parker’s defense as a sophomore.

“Sometimes you’ve got to calm John a little bit. He’s full go all the time just like Riley was,” Parker said. “Just give me effort, make sure you give me effort I can deal with everything else.”

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