Per Giants.com:
He will wear No. 31 as part of a Gopher lineage that includes Antoine Winfield Jr.
While Giants fans will know the number for former defensive backs Jason Sehorn and Aaron Ross, Nubin is paying homage to his old college teammates. Antoine Winfield Jr., the 45th overall pick by Tampa Bay in 2020, has worn No. 31 while picking up first-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl, and All-Rookie honors throughout his young NFL career. Jordan Howden, another Gophers safety drafted last year by New Orleans in the fifth round, also sports the number.
Nubin said both players prepared him to be "NFL ready."
"I just think that means just being a pro before you're a pro in how you attack every day and how you do your work before you're a pro," Nubin said. "I saw a lot of guys do that. I saw a lot of people do that. I saw Antoine Winfield do that. I saw Jordan Howden do that. I saw [Commanders cornerback] Ben St-Juste do that, all guys that played in my DB room, come from Minnesota, being a pro before they were a pro. I think that's what it means and that's why I emulated in college. You see how those guys are doing now, I think that's a recipe for success if you go in the NFL."
In terms of the Giants' roster, Nubin will reunite with a pair of Gophers on either side of the ball.
"Me and
John Michael [Schmitz] are super close," Nubin said about the Giants' 2023 second-round pick. "I was actually hoping I'd get a chance to play with him and [inside linebacker] Carter [Coughlin]."
Go Gophers!!