Northwestern signed just two players from Illinois in its Class of 2017. The Wildcats landed that many within 48 hours earlier this week for their Class of 2018.
Three-star offensive lineman Charlie Schmidt of Libertyville committed to Northwestern on Sunday, the day after returning from an overnight visit. Then three-star superback Charlie Mangieri of downstate Rochester Dunlap pulled the trigger on Tuesday. (That's two commits named Charlie in a two-day period, which may be a record.)
Don't be surprised if a couple more prospects from the Land of Lincoln add their names to Northwestern's commitment list, either. And soon.
WildcatReport has talked to sources who indicate that three-star offensive lineman Wyatt Blake of Crystal Lake Central will pick NU over Minnesota when he announces his decision on March 17. He may have even given NU coaches his verbal during his overnight visit last weekend, as Northwestern has already gotten pledges from two OL (Schmidt and Payne He'bert) and coaches told Blake that they will only take one more.
There's also been a new development in the recruitment of three-star superback Brian Kaiser of nearby New Trier that could portend an impending commitment. The Northwestern legacy (his father Steve played at NU in the 1980s) told WR that he will decide whether or not he will commit to Northwestern in the next few days.
Why? There is another superback visiting NU this weekend and Kaiser is afraid that the visitor will take his scholarship. The Wildcats are looking for two superbacks but won't take three in what will be a relatively small class. So it's first come, first served at this point, and Kaiser is nervous.
"It's stressing me out because either I commit in the next three days or Northwestern is out for me," he said.
WildcatReport has yet to identify the superback visitor, but Kaiser says that he has an offer. Kaiser also clarified that NU coaches did not give him the deadline; he imposed it on himself.
Adding to Kaiser's dilemma is the fact that his deadline comes at a time when he is reeling in offers at a rapid pace. He has collected three this week and six this month. That includes a big one from Duke on Tuesday, just his second from the Power Five.
Many thought that Kaiser -- a kid who's been going to Northwestern games as long as he can remember and who cried when he received an offer from the Wildcats -- would have committed already. But he seemed intent on taking his time. Until now.
Of course, he could still decide to wait; it's not guaranteed that the weekend visitor will commit immediately. But there's no question it would be a gamble, and it may be a gamble that Kaiser doesn't want to take.
Schmidt, Blake and Kaiser all took overnight visits to Northwestern last weekend, along with four-star defensive end Devin O'Rourke, yet another Chicagoland prospect. Three-star defensive tackle Jacob Sykes of Kansas City was also in town.
Three-star offensive lineman Charlie Schmidt of Libertyville committed to Northwestern on Sunday, the day after returning from an overnight visit. Then three-star superback Charlie Mangieri of downstate Rochester Dunlap pulled the trigger on Tuesday. (That's two commits named Charlie in a two-day period, which may be a record.)
Don't be surprised if a couple more prospects from the Land of Lincoln add their names to Northwestern's commitment list, either. And soon.
WildcatReport has talked to sources who indicate that three-star offensive lineman Wyatt Blake of Crystal Lake Central will pick NU over Minnesota when he announces his decision on March 17. He may have even given NU coaches his verbal during his overnight visit last weekend, as Northwestern has already gotten pledges from two OL (Schmidt and Payne He'bert) and coaches told Blake that they will only take one more.
There's also been a new development in the recruitment of three-star superback Brian Kaiser of nearby New Trier that could portend an impending commitment. The Northwestern legacy (his father Steve played at NU in the 1980s) told WR that he will decide whether or not he will commit to Northwestern in the next few days.
Why? There is another superback visiting NU this weekend and Kaiser is afraid that the visitor will take his scholarship. The Wildcats are looking for two superbacks but won't take three in what will be a relatively small class. So it's first come, first served at this point, and Kaiser is nervous.
"It's stressing me out because either I commit in the next three days or Northwestern is out for me," he said.
WildcatReport has yet to identify the superback visitor, but Kaiser says that he has an offer. Kaiser also clarified that NU coaches did not give him the deadline; he imposed it on himself.
Adding to Kaiser's dilemma is the fact that his deadline comes at a time when he is reeling in offers at a rapid pace. He has collected three this week and six this month. That includes a big one from Duke on Tuesday, just his second from the Power Five.
Many thought that Kaiser -- a kid who's been going to Northwestern games as long as he can remember and who cried when he received an offer from the Wildcats -- would have committed already. But he seemed intent on taking his time. Until now.
Of course, he could still decide to wait; it's not guaranteed that the weekend visitor will commit immediately. But there's no question it would be a gamble, and it may be a gamble that Kaiser doesn't want to take.
Schmidt, Blake and Kaiser all took overnight visits to Northwestern last weekend, along with four-star defensive end Devin O'Rourke, yet another Chicagoland prospect. Three-star defensive tackle Jacob Sykes of Kansas City was also in town.
