Northwestern University Athletics
Fitzgerald Welcomes 14 in the Early-Signing Period
12/16/2020 8:07:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill.- Northwestern welcomed 14 new Wildcats who signed National Letters of Intent as a part of the NCAA early-signing period, Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald announced Wednesday.
"Today is a celebration of the passion, dedication and sacrifice that 14 young men and their families made to reach this point," said Fitzgerald. "Our staff is extremely humbled that this group placed their trust in our football family and we are confident that they will be leaders in the classroom and the community, while also contributing to the championship momentum we have going on the field. We're excited to welcome all of them to Evanston in 2021."
Fitzgerald brought in eight student-athletes on offense and six on defense to Evanston in 2021. The class includes Ore Adeyi (Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Legacy), Lawson Albright (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsely), Jackson Carsello (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North), Jacob Gill (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons), Donnie Gray (Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy), Aidan Hubbard (Cleveland, Ohio/St Ignatius), Theran Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), Najee Story (Solon, Ohio/Solon), Brendan Sullivan (Davison, Mich./Davison), Caleb Tiernan (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day), Josh Thompson(Fenton, Mich./Fenton), Anthony Tyus III (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern), Mac Uihlein (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), and Garner Wallace (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central).
Complete bios of the 2021 class are below:
Ore Adeyi • CB • 5-10/175
Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Legacy
Verbally committed to Northwestern on November 27, 2020… Three-star recruit by 247Sports …No. 131 cornerback in class of 2021…VYPE DFW Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year…Multi-sport athlete in high school (football and track)...All-district as a junior…Finished high school career with 40 tackles, four interceptions, two touchdowns, 216 receiving yards and 119 yards rushing … Honor roll member … Same high school as former Northwestern defensive back Jared McGee … Anticipated major is undecided.
Lawson Albright • TE • 6-5/225
Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 1, 2020…Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports…46th overall prospect in North Carolina and No. 38 tight end in the country…Brought in 29 receptions for 475 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior season at Grimsley High School, leading the team in each of those categories…All-North Carolina 4A and All-Area honoree…Played baseball and basketball … Father, Ethan, played football at North Carolina and played in the NFL for 16 years with the Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills as a long snapper…Chose Northwestern over Louisville, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech among others…Honor roll student in all four years of high school….Anticipated major is undecided.
Jackson Carsello • OL • 6-4/270
Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 24, 2020…Fielded 30 scholarship offers across the country…Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports…No. 21 recruit in Illinois…One of two Wildcats to be ranked in the Top-25 in Illinois for 2021 … Team captain … First-Team All-Conference (2019), Second-Team All-Area (2019) … Mother, Kristen, played basketball and soccer at Lindenwood University (four national championship appearances for soccer and one for basketball)…Father, Timm, played football at Western Michigan University (member of 1988 MAC Championship Team)…Played against current NU offensive lineman Peter Skoronski in the 2019 CSL conference season… National Honor Society.
Jacob Gill • WR • 6-0/170
Raleigh, N.C./ Cardinal Gibbons
Verbally committed to Northwestern on July 8, 2020…Recorded 62 receptions, 806 yards and nine touchdowns in junior season at Cardinal Gibbons High School …Three-star recruit according to 247Sports…One of two players from North Carolina to join the Wildcats' 2021 recruiting class … Two-time First-Team All-North Carolina Cap 7 Conference… First Team All-North Carolina 4A…Cardinal Gibbons' all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards…Chose Northwestern over North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Louisville…Multi-sport athlete in high school (football and track)…Honor roll member…Highest recruited football player in Cardinal Gibbons history…Anticipated major is economics.
Donnie Gray • WR • 6-0/190
Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 7, 2020…First official commit to the Wildcats' class of 2021…Three-star recruit according to 247Sports…No. 8 player overall in Connecticut and 87th ranked athlete in the country…Played wide receiver and cornerback at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts…Three-sport athlete in high school (football, track (senior captain) and basketball) …Chose Northwestern over Yale, Princeton, Army and Navy among others.
Aidan Hubbard • DL • 6-4/218
Cleveland, Ohio/St Ignatius
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 2, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports… Three-year letter winner … Ranked as the No. 61 outside linebacker in the country…42nd ranked player in Ohio… Led team in tackles his junior season with 40.5, which included eight tackles for loss and six sacks … Team-best 40 tackles in his senior season with 10 tackles for loss and three sacks in seven games … First team all-district honors both junior and senior seasons … Second Team All-Ohio as a junior … First Team All-Ohio as a senior … Former high school teammate of NU's Jack Kennedy … Honor roll member.
Theran Johnson • CB • 6-0/170
Indianapolis, Ind./North Central
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 3, 2020 … Indiana Mr. Football nominee … Earned all-conference and all-state honors as a junior and senior … Recorded 62 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups as a junior at North Central High School in Indiana…Returned punts as well for the Panthers…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…Eighth-rated prospect in Indiana…Selected Northwestern over Notre Dame and Cincinnati…. Father played football at Louisville … Honor roll member.
Najee Story • DL • 6-4/235
Solon, Ohio/Solon
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 3, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…No. 23 ranked player in Ohio…35th overall strong-side defensive end in the country…Recognized in ESPN's 300 list…Recorded 63 tackles including nine for loss as a junior….In 2019, Solon was one of four schools in the Greater Cleveland Conference to reach the playoffs in Division I, Region 1…Committed to Northwestern over Tennessee, Penn State and Ohio State…Lettered three times at Solon…Played defensive end and tight end as a sophomore…Named a team captain senior year…Anticipated major is undecided.
Brendan Sullivan • QB • 6-3/180
Davison, Mich./Davison
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 4, 2020…Division 1 all-state quarterback for Davison Cardinals…Player of the Year finalist … Won Michigan Division 1 state championship as a junior…21-2 record as a starting quarterback…Completed 14-of-19 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown at the Ford Field during state title game…Threw for 3,044 yards and 33 touchdowns during his career for the Cardinals…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…28th ranked Pro-Style quarterback overall, 23rd best player in Michigan…Honor roll student …Academic all-state in football, basketball and track.
Caleb Tiernan • OL • 6-7/280
Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 28, 2020…Four-star recruit (247Sports)…14th highest-rated recruit in Northwestern history (247Sports)…Ranked No. 10 overall prospect in Michigan and 33rd overall offensive tackle according to 247Sports…Dual-sport athlete at Detroit Country Day, playing football and basketball…Selected Northwestern over Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State…Varsity basketball player for four years…Captain for junior and senior season for the Yellow Jackets…Captain senior year in football…Recorded 59 tackles, 22 for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2019 season…All-state, all-region and All-conference honoree…Former teammates with current Northwestern linebacker Owen Bergin.
Josh Thompson • OL • 6-4/290
Fenton, Mich./Fenton
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 24, 2020…No. 35 offensive guard in the country and No. 20 overall recruit in Michigan according to 247Sports…Four-year letterwinner, helping Fenton to a 34-9 record and multiple Top-10 rankings … Racked up 141 pancakes as a three-year starter with no sacks allowed at three different positions (RG/RT/LT) … Team captain … 2020 Mr. Football Anvil Award contestant … 2020 MHSFCA Division 2 All-Region First Team selection … Two-time Flint Metro League unanimous first team selection … Three-time first team all-area selection … 2020 Sports Illustrated Preseason All-America candidate … Earned all-state honors from the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and Associated Press his junior season … Flint Journal Dream Team offensive selection in 2019 … Earned Flint Metro League and all-area first team honors as a sophomore … Father, Randall, played football at Central Michigan … Brother, Reid, payed at Wayne State … Competed against fellow signee Brendan Sullivan … Has eight siblings … Anticipated major is economics.
Anthony Tyus III • RB • 6-1/207
Portage, Mich./ Portage Northern
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 11, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…Earned all-state honors in Michigan following junior season at Portage Northern…Rushed for 1,861 yards and scored 19 touchdowns for the Huskies…Recorded 1,801 yards in senior season, scoring 22 touchdowns…First-Team All-Conference (Division II) as a senior…First-Team AP All-State…Detroit Free Press Dream Team running back…Won three consecutive conference championships at Portage Northern…Top-50 running back nationally according to 247Sports and Top-30 in Michigan…Second-highest ranked running back in Northwestern history, trailing only Justin Jackson (247Sports)…Three-sport athlete in high school…Lettered three years in football, twice in basketball and track…Father played football at Central Michigan University…Anticipated major is neuroscience or biology/biological science.
Mac Uihlein • LB • 6-1/215
Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest
Verbally committed to Northwestern on April 3, 2020…13th highest-rated signee in Northwestern history according to 247Sports…Highest ranked inside linebacker in program history…Ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 18 overall prospect in Illinois by 247Sports…Recorded 50+ total tackles in sophomore and junior seasons at Lake Forest High School in Illinois…Chose Northwestern over other Big Ten programs such as Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska…All NSC Conference…Father played tennis at the University of Minnesota, won two Big Ten Championships… Anticipated major is economics.
Garner Wallace • SAF • 6-5/185
Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 17, 2020…Three-star prospect by 247Sports…Ranked as the No. 74 safety in the country and the 39th ranked player in Ohio…Dual-sport athlete at Pickerington Central as a football and basketball player…Played wide receiver as well for the Tigers.
"Today is a celebration of the passion, dedication and sacrifice that 14 young men and their families made to reach this point," said Fitzgerald. "Our staff is extremely humbled that this group placed their trust in our football family and we are confident that they will be leaders in the classroom and the community, while also contributing to the championship momentum we have going on the field. We're excited to welcome all of them to Evanston in 2021."
Fitzgerald brought in eight student-athletes on offense and six on defense to Evanston in 2021. The class includes Ore Adeyi (Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Legacy), Lawson Albright (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsely), Jackson Carsello (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North), Jacob Gill (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons), Donnie Gray (Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy), Aidan Hubbard (Cleveland, Ohio/St Ignatius), Theran Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), Najee Story (Solon, Ohio/Solon), Brendan Sullivan (Davison, Mich./Davison), Caleb Tiernan (Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day), Josh Thompson(Fenton, Mich./Fenton), Anthony Tyus III (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern), Mac Uihlein (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), and Garner Wallace (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central).
Complete bios of the 2021 class are below:
Ore Adeyi • CB • 5-10/175
Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield Legacy
Verbally committed to Northwestern on November 27, 2020… Three-star recruit by 247Sports …No. 131 cornerback in class of 2021…VYPE DFW Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year…Multi-sport athlete in high school (football and track)...All-district as a junior…Finished high school career with 40 tackles, four interceptions, two touchdowns, 216 receiving yards and 119 yards rushing … Honor roll member … Same high school as former Northwestern defensive back Jared McGee … Anticipated major is undecided.
Lawson Albright • TE • 6-5/225
Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 1, 2020…Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports…46th overall prospect in North Carolina and No. 38 tight end in the country…Brought in 29 receptions for 475 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior season at Grimsley High School, leading the team in each of those categories…All-North Carolina 4A and All-Area honoree…Played baseball and basketball … Father, Ethan, played football at North Carolina and played in the NFL for 16 years with the Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills as a long snapper…Chose Northwestern over Louisville, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech among others…Honor roll student in all four years of high school….Anticipated major is undecided.
Jackson Carsello • OL • 6-4/270
Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 24, 2020…Fielded 30 scholarship offers across the country…Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports…No. 21 recruit in Illinois…One of two Wildcats to be ranked in the Top-25 in Illinois for 2021 … Team captain … First-Team All-Conference (2019), Second-Team All-Area (2019) … Mother, Kristen, played basketball and soccer at Lindenwood University (four national championship appearances for soccer and one for basketball)…Father, Timm, played football at Western Michigan University (member of 1988 MAC Championship Team)…Played against current NU offensive lineman Peter Skoronski in the 2019 CSL conference season… National Honor Society.
Jacob Gill • WR • 6-0/170
Raleigh, N.C./ Cardinal Gibbons
Verbally committed to Northwestern on July 8, 2020…Recorded 62 receptions, 806 yards and nine touchdowns in junior season at Cardinal Gibbons High School …Three-star recruit according to 247Sports…One of two players from North Carolina to join the Wildcats' 2021 recruiting class … Two-time First-Team All-North Carolina Cap 7 Conference… First Team All-North Carolina 4A…Cardinal Gibbons' all-time leader in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards…Chose Northwestern over North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Louisville…Multi-sport athlete in high school (football and track)…Honor roll member…Highest recruited football player in Cardinal Gibbons history…Anticipated major is economics.
Donnie Gray • WR • 6-0/190
Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 7, 2020…First official commit to the Wildcats' class of 2021…Three-star recruit according to 247Sports…No. 8 player overall in Connecticut and 87th ranked athlete in the country…Played wide receiver and cornerback at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts…Three-sport athlete in high school (football, track (senior captain) and basketball) …Chose Northwestern over Yale, Princeton, Army and Navy among others.
Aidan Hubbard • DL • 6-4/218
Cleveland, Ohio/St Ignatius
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 2, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports… Three-year letter winner … Ranked as the No. 61 outside linebacker in the country…42nd ranked player in Ohio… Led team in tackles his junior season with 40.5, which included eight tackles for loss and six sacks … Team-best 40 tackles in his senior season with 10 tackles for loss and three sacks in seven games … First team all-district honors both junior and senior seasons … Second Team All-Ohio as a junior … First Team All-Ohio as a senior … Former high school teammate of NU's Jack Kennedy … Honor roll member.
Theran Johnson • CB • 6-0/170
Indianapolis, Ind./North Central
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 3, 2020 … Indiana Mr. Football nominee … Earned all-conference and all-state honors as a junior and senior … Recorded 62 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups as a junior at North Central High School in Indiana…Returned punts as well for the Panthers…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…Eighth-rated prospect in Indiana…Selected Northwestern over Notre Dame and Cincinnati…. Father played football at Louisville … Honor roll member.
Najee Story • DL • 6-4/235
Solon, Ohio/Solon
Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 3, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…No. 23 ranked player in Ohio…35th overall strong-side defensive end in the country…Recognized in ESPN's 300 list…Recorded 63 tackles including nine for loss as a junior….In 2019, Solon was one of four schools in the Greater Cleveland Conference to reach the playoffs in Division I, Region 1…Committed to Northwestern over Tennessee, Penn State and Ohio State…Lettered three times at Solon…Played defensive end and tight end as a sophomore…Named a team captain senior year…Anticipated major is undecided.
Brendan Sullivan • QB • 6-3/180
Davison, Mich./Davison
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 4, 2020…Division 1 all-state quarterback for Davison Cardinals…Player of the Year finalist … Won Michigan Division 1 state championship as a junior…21-2 record as a starting quarterback…Completed 14-of-19 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown at the Ford Field during state title game…Threw for 3,044 yards and 33 touchdowns during his career for the Cardinals…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…28th ranked Pro-Style quarterback overall, 23rd best player in Michigan…Honor roll student …Academic all-state in football, basketball and track.
Caleb Tiernan • OL • 6-7/280
Franklin, Mich./Detroit Country Day
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 28, 2020…Four-star recruit (247Sports)…14th highest-rated recruit in Northwestern history (247Sports)…Ranked No. 10 overall prospect in Michigan and 33rd overall offensive tackle according to 247Sports…Dual-sport athlete at Detroit Country Day, playing football and basketball…Selected Northwestern over Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State…Varsity basketball player for four years…Captain for junior and senior season for the Yellow Jackets…Captain senior year in football…Recorded 59 tackles, 22 for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2019 season…All-state, all-region and All-conference honoree…Former teammates with current Northwestern linebacker Owen Bergin.
Josh Thompson • OL • 6-4/290
Fenton, Mich./Fenton
Verbally committed to Northwestern on March 24, 2020…No. 35 offensive guard in the country and No. 20 overall recruit in Michigan according to 247Sports…Four-year letterwinner, helping Fenton to a 34-9 record and multiple Top-10 rankings … Racked up 141 pancakes as a three-year starter with no sacks allowed at three different positions (RG/RT/LT) … Team captain … 2020 Mr. Football Anvil Award contestant … 2020 MHSFCA Division 2 All-Region First Team selection … Two-time Flint Metro League unanimous first team selection … Three-time first team all-area selection … 2020 Sports Illustrated Preseason All-America candidate … Earned all-state honors from the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and Associated Press his junior season … Flint Journal Dream Team offensive selection in 2019 … Earned Flint Metro League and all-area first team honors as a sophomore … Father, Randall, played football at Central Michigan … Brother, Reid, payed at Wayne State … Competed against fellow signee Brendan Sullivan … Has eight siblings … Anticipated major is economics.
Anthony Tyus III • RB • 6-1/207
Portage, Mich./ Portage Northern
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 11, 2020…Three-star recruit by 247Sports…Earned all-state honors in Michigan following junior season at Portage Northern…Rushed for 1,861 yards and scored 19 touchdowns for the Huskies…Recorded 1,801 yards in senior season, scoring 22 touchdowns…First-Team All-Conference (Division II) as a senior…First-Team AP All-State…Detroit Free Press Dream Team running back…Won three consecutive conference championships at Portage Northern…Top-50 running back nationally according to 247Sports and Top-30 in Michigan…Second-highest ranked running back in Northwestern history, trailing only Justin Jackson (247Sports)…Three-sport athlete in high school…Lettered three years in football, twice in basketball and track…Father played football at Central Michigan University…Anticipated major is neuroscience or biology/biological science.
Mac Uihlein • LB • 6-1/215
Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest
Verbally committed to Northwestern on April 3, 2020…13th highest-rated signee in Northwestern history according to 247Sports…Highest ranked inside linebacker in program history…Ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 18 overall prospect in Illinois by 247Sports…Recorded 50+ total tackles in sophomore and junior seasons at Lake Forest High School in Illinois…Chose Northwestern over other Big Ten programs such as Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska…All NSC Conference…Father played tennis at the University of Minnesota, won two Big Ten Championships… Anticipated major is economics.
Garner Wallace • SAF • 6-5/185
Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central
Verbally committed to Northwestern on June 17, 2020…Three-star prospect by 247Sports…Ranked as the No. 74 safety in the country and the 39th ranked player in Ohio…Dual-sport athlete at Pickerington Central as a football and basketball player…Played wide receiver as well for the Tigers.
Players Mentioned
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