The latest Northwestern football recruiting class has a nickname #SavageCats17 and #NUView18 is on deck for 2018. Said Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald at his National Signing Day press conference was asked about it:
“It’s all about the hashtag” and praised the recruiting office for their “analytics and what ever other things I can say here that would be sexy.”
NU held the Fitzgerald presser and Northwestern Gridiron Network Luncheon on Signing Day at the Chicago Sports Museum on the top floor of Water Tower Place Mall, adjacent to Harry Caray’s.
"I think the most overused word is culture"- Pat Fitzgerald on recruiting process
"Upside" "measurables" "specimen" up there as well #NSD17— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) February 1, 2017
The 24/7 Sports recruiting rankings places NU’s class 11th in the B1G (48th nationally), and gives one prospect a 4-star rating. Rivals has the class 53rd nationally. Here are some more highlights from the session-
Fitzgerald on the recruiting system currently in place: “I’ve been pretty outspoken, I think this model is broken. I think we’ve got to improve transparency in the process. I think we have to do what’s best for the students athletes and their families.”
He also thinks if a recruit is offered a scholarship then they should be able to sign after a 72 hour waiting period: “I would love to go back to 1985, when we didn’t talk to kids until they were seniors, and we took the train back for the station after talking to them”
He also brought up a new, and potentially meaningless buzzword “non-commitable offer” that has become commonplace in the recruiting world.
“It’s like, hey let’s get married, and we didn’t even date,” Fitzgerald said.
#nationalsigningday #B1GCats #NSD17 @ChiSportsMuseum #NSD pic.twitter.com/Q7zlcaJWwz
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) February 1, 2017
Defensive End Earnest Brown IV is considered to be the most likely impact player in this class, as he’s the highest rated.
Safety Austin Hiller, Defensive End Travis Kent and Defensive Tackle Sam Miller are considered the other jewels of the class.
Here’s the full video of Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald on National Signing Day:
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and Bold, contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN.
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