Nailor attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. In high school, Nailor played football and ran track, winning four state titles.[2] Nailor recorded 28 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in his high school career including 12 touchdowns, 41 receptions, and 807 yards in his senior year.[3] After originally being committed to Arizona State, Nailor decommitted after Sun Devil's head coach Todd Graham was fired.[4] Nailor, a three-star recruit, would instead choose to play at Michigan State University.
College career
In 2020, Nailor led the Big Ten Conference in yards per catch while being the runner-up in 2021.[5] In 2021, in a game against Rutgers, Nailor put up a career high 221 yards with three touchdowns.[6] In his college career, Nailor played in 28 games with Michigan State. Throughout his career, Nailor tallied stats of 86 receptions, 1,453 yards, and 12 touchdowns.[7] At the end of his collegiate career, Nailor declared for the 2022 NFL draft.[8][9]
Nailor was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[12] In Week 4, against the New Orleans Saints, Nailor made his first career catch on a 13-yard fake punt from punter Ryan Wright, in the 28–25 win.[13] In Week 17, against the Green Bay Packers, Nailor recorded his first career touchdown reception, a 47-yard pass from Kirk Cousins.[14] He finished the game with three catches for 89 yards.[15] As a rookie, he appeared in 15 games and recorded nine receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown. In addition, he was a contributor on special teams.[16]
On September 21, 2023, Nailor was placed on injured reserve. He was activated on November 4.[17] In the 2023 season, Nailor had three receptions for 29 yards in six games and one start.[18]