An all-purpose player at Sahuaro High in Tucson, Ariz. (Coach Scott McKee), Niko is projected as a tight end/fullback prospect when he joins the Spartans in the fall. Kittrell was a tight end, running back, linebacker and defensive end as a senior.  He was a Division II first-team all-state and an all-city selection in 2011. As a junior, he was a second-team all-city and first-team all-region choice.  The three-sport letterwinner played one season of basketball and baseball, each at Sahuaro High.

Niko enjoys trout fishing and watching the Cartoon Network. He is in his second year serving on the school’s Student Advisory Council and is the group’s community service leader. One of his older sisters, Chanice Kittrell, was a member of the 2008 Northern Arizona University women’s soccer team. His uncle, Leon Kittrell, is a well-known drummer and vocalist and is a member of the Tucson Blues Hall of Fame. Niko is interested in majoring in business or kinesiology. The native of Tucson, Ariz., was born on February 6, 1994.

Other reported scholarship offers: New Mexico

Mike MacIntyre says: “Niko Kittrell is a young man who played tight end and defensive end in high school. He can also play the H-back spot moving in the backfield. Niko is a big young man from Tucson, Arizona, who has a very bright future.”