NU gets props from
The Athletic in a story about the 5 most important, under the radar commits to date:
3. Reggie Fleurima, four-star WR to Northwestern
High school: Naperville (Ill.) Central
Ranking: No. 324 overall, No. 32 wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-2, 200 pounds
Other offers: Iowa, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Penn State, Virginia Tech and others
Northwestern’s current recruiting ranking: No. 62 overall, No. 12 in the Big Ten
The buzz: You could make the case that Pat Fitzgerald is one of the top five coaches in college football given he has taken Northwestern to multiple Big Ten title games in the recent past and has the Wildcats at their ceiling as a program. In order to accomplish that, Fitzgerald and his staff have had to identify diamonds in the rough who could not only play high-level Big Ten football but also meet Northwestern’s high academic standards. That’s a ton of hard work.
But as Northwestern’s program maintains its success and continues to be a problem in the Big Ten West, is it possible that recruiting will start to get a little easier? Maybe. Maybe not.
The Wildcats, though, have started off the 2022 cycle with a bang in landing Fleurima, a local prospect who would be the highest-rated wide receiver Northwestern has signed in the modern era of recruiting.
We all know the style of football the Wildcats like to play. The offense sets up the defense to do its thing and maybe scores some touchdowns here and there. Nobody has made winning 17-13 games in the Big Ten more common than the Wildcats. But maybe Northwestern can become a little more explosive on offense if it continues to add talented playmakers such as Fleurima.
Arkansas, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Northwestern and Vanderbilt have each added key pieces to their 2022 classes.
theathletic.com
