UH pass rusher Nelson Ceasar excelling at Senior Bowl: ‘I have the ability to compete with the best of the best’

HOUSTON – Before Nelson Ceasar enters the storm at the line of scrimmage, he prefers to calm his emotions by listening to inspirational tunes of gospel music.

That’s how the University of Houston edge pass rusher gets his mind right in the locker room before playing football.

That’s how Ceasar builds his energy before unleashing his growing pass rushing repertoire to relentlessly harass quarterbacks.

Now, the Missouri City native and Ridge Point graduate is plying his trade and excelling at the prestigious Senior Bowl all-star game.

“I’m liking it, I’m really enjoying the experience out here,” Ceasar told KPRC 2 in a telephone interview. “It’s a blessing to be here for real. I feel like I have proven I do have the ability to go out there and compete with the best of the best of this generation of this draft class. I have a lot more to prove to myself, but I have proven that I can play.”

Ceasar has made a strong impression on NFL teams this week, including his ability spin and bend to beat massive Oklahoma standout offensive tackle Jaylen Guyton in a one-on-one drill.

Ceasar even got his turn rushing against fellow Coogs Senior Bowl participant Patrick Paul, his teammate.

“You know it was like old times, to tell you the truth,” Ceasar said. “It’s the same old, same old. Iron sharpens iron, that’s right.”

Ceasar met with his hometown Texans in addition to the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins, among roughly half of the 32 NFL teams attending the Senior Bowl

“I thought it was pretty cool, I enjoyed talking to the Texans a lot,” Ceasar said. “I’m excited by what the Texans did over there. Being a real-life Texans fan, that was exciting to see them go out there and do their thing. They went crazy this year. My hometown team, man, that would be a perfect fit for me.”

At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, Ceasar is a versatile player who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season. A first-team All-Big 12 selection, Ceasar recorded a career-high 9 1/2 sacks to lead the conference. He ranked eighth nationally with 0.86 sacks per game as he recorded a team-high 13 1/2 tackles for losses in 591 snaps and 11 starts.

Ceasar had 34 pressures with 20 hurries last season.

Among his moves he’s been working on: the stab-single, the cross-chop, bull-snatch and a spin move.

“I love selling an inside move,” Ceasar said. “I would say my go-to move is the cross chop, a quicker move that allows me to get to the quarterback faster. Once that move is set up and ready to be unleashed, I can get after the quarterback. I have spun in some games. I would say I go finesse first, and then I throw in a lot of power.”

Among his best performances: three sacks against Baylor, blocking a field goal against Central Florida and recording two sacks and three tackles for losses against Rice.

Ceasar has the ability to drop back in coverage, intercepting a pass against Texas-San Antonio earlier in his career. He also had a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2022.

“I believe I can play outside linebacker, middle linebacker and defensive end,” said Ceasar, who recorded 131 tackles, 38 for losses, seven forced fumbles and a school-record 21 1/2 sacks at Ridge Point before choosing the Coogs over Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas Tech. “If they need me to drop back in coverage, I can do that, too. One team told me I was a linebacker in their scheme. The majority of them have said I would play outside linebacker for them.”

Ceasar and Paul were visited at practice by new Coogs coach Willie Fritz, who replaced Dana Holgorsen.

“I always wanted to meet him,” Ceasar said. “He told us to come by the facility whenever we’re in town. He welcomed and was accepting of me. I like coach Fritz.”

The success that Texans rookie wide receiver Tank Dell had immediately after being drafted in the third round out of UH made an impression on Ceasar.

“I love seeing that,” Ceasar said. “I want everyone to win and be able to experience their dreams and make their dreams come true. The closer I get to the NFL, I realize how hard it is. It’s about production. It’s a job. It’s a business. I understand all of that.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com