| No. 17 – Minnesota Golden Gophers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 13, 2005 |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Marist (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
John Nestor is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He previously played for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Nestor attended Marist High School in Chicago, Illinois. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and committed to play college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes over offers from other schools such as Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue, and Kansas. [1]
As a freshman in 2023, Nestor played sparingly, but entered the 2024 season with an expanded role. [2] He appeared in ten games that season, recording 14 tackles and a fumble recovery, after which he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. [3] [4]
Nestor transferred to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. [5] In week 2 of the 2025 season, he notched two interceptions, one of which he returned 29 yards for a touchdown, in a victory over Northwestern State. [6] Nestor was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following a win over Wisconsin in the regular season finale, recording nine tackles with two being for a loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. [7]