Feb. 04--Northwestern coaches enjoyed a drama-free national signing day, free of decommitments and certainly devoid of the school telling any players to look elsewhere, as happened at other Big Ten schools.
"When we offer you a scholarship," Fitzgerald said Wednesday at Harry Carry's Restaurant in Chicago, "it is a committable scholarship offer unless you change your academic character or your social character."
The process of acquiring all 19 national letters of intent to join Tommy Carnifax, who enrolled early after completing his high school studies in December, took about the same time as it does to heat up a breakfast quiche.
The final letter came through at 7:36 a.m., 36 minutes after Aidan Smith's signed document.
Considering that Clayton Thorson just completed his redshirt freshman season, Northwestern seems set at quarterback through 2018. But perhaps Smith's eagerness can be taken as a sign that he will push for an immediate spot on the two-deep.
The Fort Wayne, Ind., native did not garner much love from other Big Ten schools, but he is athletic, well-built at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and is said to be a smart, accurate passer.
"Everyone in the world didn't want him," said Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director for Rivals.com. "If Northwestern didn't take him, he'd have gone to the MAC and put up big numbers. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
NU's top-rated player, according to some recruiting services, is Roderick Campbell Jr., a defensive back from Missouri who turned down offers from Notre Dame, Iowa and Duke.
There are two players from Illinois in the class, which 247sports.com has rated 10th among Big Ten teams. (Though in terms of the players' average rating, NU rates seventh.)
Analysts consider this a typical NU class, solid top-to-bottom with few standouts.
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
