Class of 2027 · linebacker
Nolan Buirley
LB
6-1, 205 lb · Big Walnut HS · Sunbury, OH
Committed to Northwestern since Jun 937Model gradeiBetter offers than 61% of his classOutside the top 1,000. Past boards here: 26% signed at a Power 4 school, 4% were drafted.
StarsiConsensus stars, as reported by CollegeFootballData.
The numbers are in the email we sent you. One press marks them Coach-confirmed on this page, with your school's web address and never your name or email.
His offers, dated
His offers
7 offers
Strongest program firstCommitted
NorthwesternCommittedoffered Jun 6Navycoldoffered Mar 15Libertycoldoffered May 7, 2025Eastern Michigancoldoffered Jan 31Armycoldoffered Feb 17Buffalocoldoffered May 10Ball Statecoldoffered Feb 9Strongest programs first (how strength is made). Warm: an offer, visit or camp in the last 60 days, or an official visit in the last 120. Cool: contact in the last 180. Cold: older, or a decommit. These are the offers on record, not every offer made.
His board on any day
May 2025 to todayMay 2025AugNovFebMayAugNov 2026
Drag to any month: the offers, the timeline and the grade become what they were on the last day of it, on today's scale. How the grade is made.
Every dated move
8 dated moves since May 7, 2025Committed NorthwesternJun 9Offered NorthwesternJun 6Offered BuffaloMay 10Offered NavyMar 15Offered ArmyFeb 17Offered Ball StateFeb 9Offered Eastern MichiganJan 31Offered LibertyMay 7, 2025Newest first, from recruit posts and the national recruiting data. An offer with no posted date sits in the offers list only.
His testing numbers
Testing numbers
none yetNo testing numbers for Nolan yet. His family can add his 40, shuttle, jumps, bench and track times below, with proof.
How we know each number. Verified: a testing company or state meet result we matched to his name, class and date. Coach-confirmed: his coach said yes from a school email. Video-evidenced: a clip of the timer or tape that we watched. Self-reported, in grey: his family's word. Testing numbers here come only through this form.
Where he fits
Best fits
best 3 of 7 offersNorthwestern CommittedA spot opens at linebacker and they start players his size6 at linebacker with 2+ years left · 3 leave after this season · 4 starters his size since 20222Eastern MichiganThey start players his size2 starters his size since 20223ArmyThey start players his size3 starters his size since 2022Ranked by how thin each program is at his spot, whether it starts players his size, who leaves after this season and, while he is uncommitted, our odds. How it is made.
His role
Hybrid linebacker6-1, 205 lb: safety-sized. Built like Jaiden Ausberry (6-0, 210), a starter at Notre Dame in 2026.
- Fitsa defense with five defensive backs, at the nickel or star spot
- His offers that doNavyEastern Michigan
- The rest3 of his offers play it another way
Read off his size at his position; schemes from each program's season article on Wikipedia (base defense) and our play-by-play (how much it throws). A guide to where he would line up, not a scouting report. How it is made.
Compare his offers
any 4 of 7Fit for him
No. 1of 7 offers
No. 2of 7 offers
No. 3of 7 offers
Program strength
73of 100
31of 100
24of 100
Players like him who went there: drafted
1 of 5Walker, round 5
-none with his board signed there
0 of 2closest: Wright, 2016
Players like him there: a real season by year two
-the box score does not cover them
-
0 of 1
Room at linebacker
Average6 with 2+ years left
-no roster on record
-no roster on record
Leaving after this season
3
-no roster on record
-no roster on record
2027 commits at linebacker
2Jack Frassetto, Blake Loughlin
-no roster on record
-no roster on record
Starts players his size
4starters his size since 2022
2starters his size since 2022
3starters his size since 2022
Base defense
4-3DC Tim McGarigle since 2024
4-2-5DC Tate Omli since 2026
3-4DC Daryl Dixon since 2026
Coaches linebacker
-
-
John Loose
From home
280 miIL
145 miMI
472 miNY
Where it stands
Committed
Coldoffered Jan 31
Coldoffered Feb 17
His best-fitting offers first; pick any 4 of Nolan's 7 to compare. Green is the best in each row. Room counts the players at his spot with two or more years left. Players like him: up to five past recruits whose offer boards looked most like his and who signed at that school, from classes whose careers are over; a real season means 100+ passes, 50+ carries, 15+ catches, 25+ tackles, 3+ sacks or 2+ interceptions. Offensive linemen and defenders from classes before 2016 are not in that row: the box score does not count linemen's work and has no tackles before 2016. History, not a forecast for him. Green on the scheme row: it plays the front or the offense his role fits. How fit is made.
Schools that should be calling
10 that have not offered
Central MichiganOffered 5 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by September of junior year2
Kent StateOffered 4 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by June of sophomore year · linebackers coach Kevin Snyder3
ToledoOffered 4 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by June of sophomore year4
Bowling GreenOffered 3 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by October of junior year5
Miami (OH)Offered 3 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by May of sophomore year6
Youngstown StateOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like him
7Youngstown StateOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like him
UConnOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by February of junior year8
Northern IllinoisOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like him9
Western MichiganOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by June of sophomore year10
Minnesota Even at linebackerOffered 2 of the 10 recruits most like himusually offers linebackers by October of junior year · linebackers coach Mariano Sori-MarinPrograms that offered the recruits most like him (same position, size, home state and offers), have not offered him, and sit near the level of the offers he holds. How it is made.
Where his size starts
454of 1,101 FBS starters at linebacker since 2022 were his size6-0 to 6-2, 191 to 219 lb
- Most in
SEC66
ACC61
Big Ten58 - Start his size most
SMU9
Tennessee9
Auburn8 - His offers that doLiberty5Northwestern4Army3Eastern Michigan2
Who needs him
Northwestern is thinnest at linebacker of his 7 offersEven- 6 with 2+ years left of 14
- 3 leave after this season
- 1 portal exit in 3 seasons
- 3 commits this cycle (him included)
He committed to a room that is even by our count.
A starter is six or more games in one of the position's starting slots, 2022-2026 (college snap counts are not public). How it is made. Room is players with 2+ years left plus 2027 commits, against the 68 programs mapped (the power conferences and Notre Dame). How it is made.
Players like him, and how they turned out
How 50 boards like his turned out
classes 2010-20220%Transferred0 of 22 played for a second school
6%Drafted3 of 50
4%NFL starter2 of 50 started an NFL season
The 50 past recruits with the boards closest to his, from classes 2010 to 2022, whose careers are over. College seasons from CFBD rosters, on record for 22 of 50. No rate for a real season here: the stats can judge only 1 of those, because the box score has no tackles before 2016. History, not a forecast for him.
Boards that looked like his
1 of 10 drafted
Kareem McDonald LBNot draftedmatchMarkus Wright LBNot draftedmatch
Sam Eguavoen LBNot draftedmatch
Blake Keller LBNot draftedmatch
Joe Riggins LBNot draftedmatch
Ed Duplessis LBNot draftedmatchSBSean Bowens LBNot draftedmatch
Charlie Patrick LBNot draftedmatch
Malachi Character LBIn college nowmatchPast recruits whose offer boards looked most like his: same position, about the same size, offers from programs of the same strength, about as many. Past boards are offers at signing day; his is the board he holds today (Nov 12, 2026). Classes 2016 to 2025 are thin in our record today, so most matches come from 2010 to 2026. 9 of these 10 have finished their draft window. History, not a forecast for him.
Claim it free: add offers we missed, measurables and a film link. A parent or guardian claims for a recruit under 18, and we never publish contact details, handles or dollars.
Remove my photo. A parent or guardian, or the recruit himself at 18 or older, can take his photo off this page. It is gone with the next nightly build and is not added back.