Breaking down Northwestern football’s recent commits
· Yahoo Sports
Northwestern has signed 13 recruits in the past month, adding to the now group of 20 players committed for its class of 2027. Head Coach David Braun’s fourth recruiting cycle is shaping up to be his best, as Northwestern currently holds the 34th-ranked class in the nation, according to 247Sports. Braun’s previous best national recruiting ranking was in 2026 — the most recent group of incoming first-years — when his team ranked 56th.
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Although these players still have a year of high school football to play before joining the ‘Cats, it’s never too early to look at the talent that will soon be entering the Northwestern program. Northwestern may sign additional recruits, and it may even lose some of the guys on this list, but it’s safe to say Braun is improving as a recruiter and the future of Northwestern football looks bright.
Here’s a brief introduction to the 13 athletes in the class of 2027 who recently committed to NU.
Kenyon Norman, 6-foot RB
Norman hails from Ohio and is the 32nd-ranked player in his state and 54th-ranked running back in the nation. At 195 pounds, Norman is a physical back with skills both before and after the point of contact. In his third high school season, Norman had 1,200 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.
Norman’s vision and ability to beat defenders one-on-one flash when watching his tape. He frequently identifies and aggressively enters open lanes and then uses his mix of strength and speed to turn short gains into home run plays. Norman is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield and showed a knack for getting around the edge of the defense.
Norman appears to be a potential game-breaker at the college level, and the ‘Cats can only hope he improves his game and stays committed to Northwestern.
Jordan Cason, 5-foot-10 WR
Cason, a Florida native, is a three-star recruit and the 125th-ranked player from his state. At only 168 pounds, Cason will need to add size throughout his senior year of high school and during his time at Northwestern, but for now, he is a multi-talented athlete. He took snaps at wide receiver and cornerback for his high school as well as competing in basketball and track.
Cason’s track background becomes clear when watching him play, as he’s frequently running by defenders and avoiding tackles. He’s a typical speedy deep threat who can stretch the field and provide a last resort for his quarterback.
At the college level, Cason will have to improve his ability to catch through contact and bounce off physical tackling, but for now he projects as a rotational big-play receiver for Northwestern.
Lincoln Cook, 6-foot-1 WR
Cook is a three-star recruit and ranks as the 27th best player from his home state of Pennsylvania. Like Cason, Cook has a slimmer build at 175 pounds due to his multi-sport background of track and basketball. Cook also played wide receiver and cornerback in high school, evidence of Northwestern’s emphasis on versatility.
Cook had 68 receptions, 1,088 yards and 11 touchdowns in his third high school season as well as 18 tackles and three interceptions. Cook was dynamic in screen play situations and showed explosiveness with the ball in his hands. His speed allowed him to easily beat press coverage while his size enabled a physicality at the catch point. Cook was a red zone target for his team and frequently made big-time catches on goal-line fades.
Cook flashed the potential to be a dominant X receiver at the next level, and Northwestern likely can’t wait to get its hands on him.
Amir Hogans, 6-foot-2 WR/ATH
Continuing the trend, Hogans played both offense and defense in high school and was recruited as an athlete. Hogans logged reps at linebacker and safety for his team, weighing 220 pounds. He’s the 37th-ranked player from his home state of New Jersey and has played all over the field because of his size and speed.
Hogans had 590 yards and five touchdowns in his junior season to go along with 48 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. It’s easy to see why schools like Northwestern and Michigan State were interested in Hogans, as he is an imposing figure that loves contact and physicality in all aspects of the game. He consistently hauled in tough catches in traffic and caused busts in coverage due to his ability to stay upright through hits.
Hogans brings versatility and a physicality that should fit right in at Northwestern.
Andrew Davalla, 6-foot-6 OT
At 265 pounds, Davalla has the size needed to play at the collegiate level. The Ohio native is a three-star recruit and ranks in the top 800 nationally. Davalla chose NU over offers from teams such as Duke and Virginia Tech, although he has since made several visits since committing to Northwestern on June 10. Davalla’s size and finesse would bring needed depth to a ‘Cats offensive line that seems to be constantly changing.
Caleb Siler, 6-foot-8 OT
Siler is 6-foot-8 and weighs 290 pounds. To put it simply, he’s a big kid.
The three-star from Texas ranks in the top 650 recruits nationwide and likely chose Northwestern over teams such as Texas and Arkansas because of a desire to play sooner rather than later. Siler was a roadblock on the offensive line in his junior high school season but also showed the ability to move his feet quickly and get out and block for screens. Siler is one of Braun’s best recruits and has NFL potential.
Jaiden Davis, 6-foot-4 DL
Davis is a three-star from Ohio and is a “tweener” in many ways with the body of an edge rusher but the ability to play on the inside of the defensive line. Davis weighs 260 pounds and exhibited the speed and burst of a dominant pass rusher. Although he has mainly played defensive tackle in high school, Davis will likely either have to beef up exponentially or transition to the edge where he can use some of his versatility and pass rushing skills. His multidimensional toolset should enable Northwestern to roll him out in a variety of defensive packages when he finally gets to Evanston.
Jared Zames, 6-foot-4 Edge
Zames is a more traditional edge and is a three-star recruit from Florida. His wingspan is over 80 inches, and he flashed a level of athleticism that should translate to the Big Ten level. Zames had 38 tackles (10 tackles for loss), 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his junior year of high school. He persistently pursues the quarterback but also showed he could fill run lanes and take up space on the defensive line. It may take time for the Tampa product to develop, but he has the tools to become a productive player for the Wildcats.
Blake Loughlin, 6-foot-2 LB
Loughlin is a 210-pound wrecking ball from Minnesota who flies around the field like a magnet to the ball. He can fill gaps to stop ball carriers up the middle and weave through offensive blockers to tackle running backs and pass catchers. He showed good vision and patience in his junior year of high school and has enough burst to stay with wide outs on shorter routes. Loughlin is a prototypical do-it-all linebacker who could blossom into an eventual leader of Northwestern’s defense.
Nolan Buirley, 6-foot-1 LB/ATH
Buirley is a three-star recruit out of Ohio who ranks as a top 650 recruit nationally. Although he’s been placed in the defensive section of this breakdown — 247sports has him listed as a linebacker — Buirley’s high school production is mostly characterized by his snaps at running back. As a junior, he rushed for 2,277 yards and scored 30 touchdowns en route to winning Ohio Division II Offensive Player of the Year. His film shows incredible vision, balance and strength, mixed with breakaway acceleration and top-end speed that made him nearly impossible to bring down.
Yet, as Northwestern is also recruiting him as a linebacker, it’s important to think about how Buirley’s traits may translate on the defensive side. Finding his linebacker tape proved difficult, but the burst, strength and physicality make it easy to see how Buirley would be impactful in the middle of a defense. He has the size of a traditional linebacker yet the speed of a safety, making him a versatile weapon that can play all over the field.
It will be interesting to see what his role at Northwestern ends up being, but one thing is for sure: Buirley is talented enough to make a huge impact in Evanston one day.
Kingston Thornton, 6-foot-2 CB
Thornton is a three-star recruit from Texas who chose Northwestern over the likes of Colorado, BYU and Baylor. He finished his junior year of high school with 36 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery as well as running a sub-11-second 100-meter on the track. Thornton’s over-the-top speed is obvious, but he’s also flashed high-level ability at making plays on the ball. Thornton has good size at the cornerback position and should bring needed depth and potential to the Northwestern secondary.
Cristian Mbamarah, 6-foot-1 CB/ATH
Mbamarah, a three-star from Colorado, is arguably the best current recruit committed to Northwestern. He’s ranked in the top 500 nationwide and is the second-best player from his home state. Mbamarah chose Northwestern over schools like Stanford and Arizona, although he’s visited Wisconsin and Vanderbilt since committing to the ‘Cats.
Mbamarah had 65 tackles in his junior year of high school to go along with nine pass breakups and a pick-six. Mbamarah is good in both zone and man defense and is a hard-hitter at the point of attack. He quickly identifies the opposition’s play and makes early reads on where the ball is going. Mbamarah has great speed and intuition and loves to play in press coverage and challenge the receiver head-on. He projects to be a lockdown corner at some point in his career and could grow into a staple of the future Northwestern defense.
Marcus Turpin, 6-foot-3 S/ATH
Turpin, a three-star from Maryland, is another recruit ranked in the top-500 nationwide. The 170-pound speedster logged snaps at safety and wide receiver in high school and is yet another track star on his way to Evanston. Turpin is noticeably long and fluid on the field, taking up a bunch of space when put at safety. He reads the quarterback’s eyes well and jumps several routes purely on his combination of football IQ and athleticism.
Turpin is another versatile player that should impact the game in many ways. He’ll need to add size at the college level, but right now, he’s a highlight waiting to happen.