Rocco Nicholl holds the MLB · Starter spot in Kent State Golden Flashes’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Rocco Nicholl is a 6'5", 245-pound linebacker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who attended St. Joseph Prep before playing at the University of South Florida. He transferred to Kent State, where he has appeared in multiple games across three seasons. As a freshman in 2022, Nicholl made his debut against LIU with 2 solo tackles including a tackle for loss. During his junior year in 2024, he started 7 of 8 games and recorded 30 solo tackles and 31 assisted tackles, along with 3 quarterback hurries and 2 pass breakups, posting a season-high 14 total tackles against Penn State. Nicholl was named to Athlon Sports Preseason All-MAC Second Team for 2026.

Kent State2022 – 2024

South Florida2025

Kent State2026 — present