North by Northwestern

When the football team returns to action in September, a new group of NU Wildcat football players will be ready to make their mark at Ryan Field.

National Signing Day for football recruits was Feb. 1, and 19 future Wildcats inked their national letters of intent to play for coach Pat Fitzgerald. The incoming class features 10 offensive and nine defensive players.

Notable Recruits

With senior defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo set to graduate, Northwestern was faced with a massive hole along the defensive front, which it will attempt to fill with incoming freshmen Trevor Kent and Earnest Brown.

Kent – a 6’5”, 242-pound native of Pittsburg, Kansas – is the top 2017 football recruit from the state of Kansas. A nice balance of speed and power, Kent looks like a perfect fit into Mike Hankwitz’s defensive scheme. Especially in league like the Big Ten, Kent’s ability to set the defensive edge and force running backs back between the tackles will be paramount for the ‘Cats.

Not to be outdone by his future classmate, Earnest Brown has a relentless motor for a pass rusher. If you can’t remember his jersey number (#99), look for the guy throwing the quarterback down 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. A defensive standout from Denton, Texas, Brown reads blockers well and doesn’t miss on open field tackles. The lone four-star commit in NU’s 2017 recruiting class, Brown has the skillset to be a starter come week one.

In the special teams department, the ‘Cats were able to sign Charlie Kuhbander out of Springboro, Ohio. Kuhbander figures to be in the running to replace a graduating Jack Mitchell as starting placekicker. Kuhbander could turn into an offensive weapon for the ‘Cats, as he consistently connects on field goals of 40+ yards.

On the offensive side of the ball, NU may have found the second coming of Austin Carr in Berkeley Holman. Holman, a 6-foot wide receiver out of California, should see playing time as a either the “X” or “Z” receiver. His ability to gain separation from defenders off the line of scrimmage and read zone coverage effectively will help ease the burden of Carr’s absence. Plus, Holman is a lethal punt returner and has the potential to convert explosive plays.

Big Ten Landscape

Currently, the Northwestern recruiting class ranks 11th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten conference. Fret not, Wildcat fans, the ‘Cats have had the 10th best recruiting classes in the Big Ten the past two years and have gone on to win 17 games combined.

Recruiting Stretch

The formula for gaining notoriety around high school recruits is on-field production in wins – plain and simple. With NU’s recent successful seasons, back-to-back 7+ win seasons, Fitzgerald and Co. are beginning to draw attention from recruits across the nation. The 2017 NU recruiting class includes players from the midwest (Ohio, Michigan and Indiana), as well as traditional high school football powerhouse states Texas, Florida and California.

All ratings based off of those from 247sports.com