Hunter Nourzad

Early life

From Marietta, Georgia, Nourzad attended The Walker School where he was twice the football team captain and also competed for the lacrosse and track and field teams. He won all-region honors in shot put and was all-state, a three-time all-region honoree and the regional lineman of the year with the football team. He received little attention as a recruit and committed to play college football for the FCS Cornell Big Red, being an unranked prospect. Nourzad is Iranian.

College career

In Nourzad's first season, 2018, he saw no playing time. The following year, he earned a starting role at right tackle and was named second-team All-Ivy League. After the 2020 season was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nourzad returned as a starter for the 2021 season. He started all 10 games and helped Cornell place fifth nationally for fewest quarterback sacks allowed per game while also setting the program record for fewest sacks. He was selected first-team all-conference, the Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year by Phil Steele, and was a second-team choice for the All-America team as selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Nourzad transferred to the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2022. He changed his position to guard at Penn State, having previously been a tackle at Cornell. He played 11 games, eight as a starter, and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference in the 2022 season. He returned for a final season in 2023 and moved to center. He was selected a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023. He was invited to the East–West Shrine Bowl and participated at the NFL Scouting Combine after the season.