Northwestern has enjoyed an impressive run on offensive linemen, landing three commitments in the last two weeks. So the question everyone is asking is whether the Wildcats take any more.
The answer right now is: we’ll see. That’s what both of NU’s top OL prospects and WildcatReport sources are saying.
The additions of priority targets Ben Wrather, Josh Priebe and Peter Skoronski give the Wildcats as talented a trio of offensive line recruits as they’ve had in recent memory. They also have two highly regarded targets waiting in the wings in Ozzy Trapilo and Connor McLaughlin who are both very interested in the program and had already scheduled spring official visits when Skoronski, a highly coveted four-star, announced his commitment on Saturday.
But with limited spaces left in what will be a small class -- even by NU’s standards -- the Wildcats will likely leave some talent on the table at the position.
Trapilo, a tall and slender 6-foot-8, 255-pound tackle, says that offensive line coach Kurt Anderson reached out to him on Sunday, the day after the Skoronski news hit.
“(I) talked to coach Anderson... They are gonna talk as a staff and let me know soon,” said Trapilo.
Soon it had better be because Trapilo is planning to come in for his official visit on the weekend of May 17-19, when most of NU’s 10 2020 commitments and many of their top remaining prospects will be on campus. If the Cats no longer have a spot for him, he is unlikely to make the trip.
So Trapilo, who has a total of 13 offers to mull, including 10 from the Power Five, is going to wait and see what he hears from NU before deciding whether he will visit and continue to pursue NU.
The news for McLaughlin wasn’t as optimistic. He said that Northwestern has informed him that there won’t be a scholarship for him unless something changes -- like the loss of one of the OL commitments or another roster development (such as a retirement) that changes the allocation of scholarships.
“No, there isn’t a spot left,” said McLaughlin. “I may still go on (the) OV (to Northwestern) and things could change, but as of now I can’t do it.”
McLaughlin, another long tackle at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, just visited on April 20 and was sold on the program, so he is understandably disappointed about the way things worked out. He was in what he called “a tricky situation.” He couldn’t make it to Northwestern’s big official visit weekend in May but was scheduled to come in on the weekend of June 14-16. He was well aware that his spot could be gone by then, but, he said, “I didn’t want to rush it either.”
Easing McLaughlin’s angst is the fact that he feels like he could land offers from Notre Dame and Stanford soon.
Coaches are now wrestling whether to take another tackle. Wrather is a pure tackle among the commits, while Priebe and Skoronski could play either inside or outside and may project better as guards. Based on the fact that the door might still be open for him to get a scholarship, Trapilo seems to be the player the staff prefers. That, or he is just next in line because of his official visit coming a month earlier than McLaughlin's.
However things work out, Northwestern will likely have to pass on a very good offensive line prospect. That's a first-world kind of problem, and one that shows where the Wildcats' recruiting is right now.
The answer right now is: we’ll see. That’s what both of NU’s top OL prospects and WildcatReport sources are saying.
The additions of priority targets Ben Wrather, Josh Priebe and Peter Skoronski give the Wildcats as talented a trio of offensive line recruits as they’ve had in recent memory. They also have two highly regarded targets waiting in the wings in Ozzy Trapilo and Connor McLaughlin who are both very interested in the program and had already scheduled spring official visits when Skoronski, a highly coveted four-star, announced his commitment on Saturday.
But with limited spaces left in what will be a small class -- even by NU’s standards -- the Wildcats will likely leave some talent on the table at the position.
Trapilo, a tall and slender 6-foot-8, 255-pound tackle, says that offensive line coach Kurt Anderson reached out to him on Sunday, the day after the Skoronski news hit.
“(I) talked to coach Anderson... They are gonna talk as a staff and let me know soon,” said Trapilo.
Soon it had better be because Trapilo is planning to come in for his official visit on the weekend of May 17-19, when most of NU’s 10 2020 commitments and many of their top remaining prospects will be on campus. If the Cats no longer have a spot for him, he is unlikely to make the trip.
So Trapilo, who has a total of 13 offers to mull, including 10 from the Power Five, is going to wait and see what he hears from NU before deciding whether he will visit and continue to pursue NU.
The news for McLaughlin wasn’t as optimistic. He said that Northwestern has informed him that there won’t be a scholarship for him unless something changes -- like the loss of one of the OL commitments or another roster development (such as a retirement) that changes the allocation of scholarships.
“No, there isn’t a spot left,” said McLaughlin. “I may still go on (the) OV (to Northwestern) and things could change, but as of now I can’t do it.”
McLaughlin, another long tackle at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, just visited on April 20 and was sold on the program, so he is understandably disappointed about the way things worked out. He was in what he called “a tricky situation.” He couldn’t make it to Northwestern’s big official visit weekend in May but was scheduled to come in on the weekend of June 14-16. He was well aware that his spot could be gone by then, but, he said, “I didn’t want to rush it either.”
Easing McLaughlin’s angst is the fact that he feels like he could land offers from Notre Dame and Stanford soon.
Coaches are now wrestling whether to take another tackle. Wrather is a pure tackle among the commits, while Priebe and Skoronski could play either inside or outside and may project better as guards. Based on the fact that the door might still be open for him to get a scholarship, Trapilo seems to be the player the staff prefers. That, or he is just next in line because of his official visit coming a month earlier than McLaughlin's.
However things work out, Northwestern will likely have to pass on a very good offensive line prospect. That's a first-world kind of problem, and one that shows where the Wildcats' recruiting is right now.
