Nolan Nelson, A 6-foot-8 senior power forward out of Providence School in Jacksonville, Florida, announced he has committed to Furman University on Tuesday. Nelson becomes the first commit for Bob Richey and the Paladins in the upcoming recruiting cycle.

Nelson chose Furman over his other four finalists, which included Ball State, Florida State, Harvard, and South Florida. Before trimming his list down to five, Nelson was being recruited by Columbia, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, among several others. 

Nelson is the No. 172 overall-ranked recruit in the nation, the No. 31 power forward, and the No. 29 overall player in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports.

During the Grassroots season, Nelson played for Austin Rivers SE Elite on the Adidas circuit, where he averaged 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

During his junior season, he spent time at SPIRE Academy in Ohio before returning to his home state of Florida, finishing out the second half of the season at Providence School, where he helped lead the Stallions to their third state championship in program history and first in 11 years. Nelson averaged 13.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in 13 games played during the 2025-2026 season, according to MaxPreps.

Nelson took official visits to South Florida (August 21) and Furman (August 28). He had an official visit with Harvard scheduled for later this month, which he has cancelled due to his commitment to the Paladins.

Scouting Report on Nolan Nelson: The 6-foot-8 power forward is comfortable when operating from the perimeter and is not afraid to attack the front of the rim when given the opportunity. He can crash the glass on both ends of the floor, runs the floor exceptionally well in transition, and takes advantage of mismatches, displaying his three-level scoring package. On the defensive end, he uses his length well when it comes to guarding bigger players, as well as using his athleticism out on the perimeter when guarding smaller guards. His understanding of floor spacing and timing spells an immediate action for Nelson, where he can make an immediate impact at the highest level. Overall, Nelson’s ceiling will be determined by whether he continues to grow and mature, plays with confidence, and can be a stretch-four at the collegiate level. 

Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast region scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024. He has been involved in basketball scouting with various stops at Prep Hoops and Prep Girls Hoops since 2022. You can reach him via email at rossvdg14@gmail.com or follow him on X (@RossVDG14) and Instagram (ross_vdg14)