Star receiver Nick Nash won’t play for SJSU in Hawaii Bowl

Nick Nash, the former quarterback who led the nation in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season, will not play in San Jose State’s bowl game next week.

Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo told media at his press conference Tuesday that Nash has not been practicing with the team and will miss the Hawaii Bowl as he prepares for next spring’s NFL Draft.

The Spartans face South Florida on Dec. 24 (5 p.m., ESPN) at the Ching Athletics Complex on campus at the University of Hawaii.

Nash was named Monday as one of three receivers on the Associated Press All-American first team. His 104 receptions, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns are all single-season records for San Jose State.

He ends his Spartans career, which began in 2019, with 163 catches,  2,212 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns. He also threw for 1,359 yards and 12 touchdowns, running for 858 yards and five touchdowns. His passing and rushing accruals were almost all from his first three seasons, when he played primarily as a dual-threat quarterback.

After three seasons as a wide receiver, he finishes sixth in program history in receiving yards, fifth in receptions and second in touchdowns.

The Spartans, who run a pass-heavy attack, have experienced receivers outside of Nash in senior Justin Lockhart (52 receptions this season) and sophomores TreyShun Hurry (24 catches) and Matthew Coleman (22 catches).

Nash’s age after six collegiate seasons could be a concern for some NFL teams focused on developing players and maximizing their primes, but his 6-foot-3 frame and football knowledge as a former quarterback are likely to draw some interest.

Nash has not played his last game as a college athlete, though: He announced on social media last week that he will participate in the Hula Bowl, a college all-star showcase that curiously is not in Hawaii. That game will be played Jan. 11 in Orlando.