Lew Nichols III is from Detroit Michigan. So it's no surprise he stuck near his hometown and committed to Central Michigan University after earning all-state honors in high school. As a Chippewa, he redshirted his freshman season and had limited work in 4 games. The 2020 season was Nichols "arrival" to the MAC. He carried the ball 78 times for 505 yards and added aniothe 109 yards from receptions. Lew Nichols III became THE guy in Jim McElwain's system. In 2021, Nichols lead all of college football in rushing attempts (341) and rushing yards (1,848). He also added 10 rushing touchdowns. Through the air he caught 40 passes for 338 yards and 2 TDs. The following season Nichols suffered injuries that hampered his bounce back to the previous years's numbers. He rushed 177 times for 601 yards and 6 TDs with another 21 receptions for 128 yards.
