Northwestern's 2027 recruiting process is in full swing right now, as it prepares to host a slew of prospects on campus this weekend. Among those are quarterback RJ Day, son of Ohio State's head coach, and two highly-regarded offensive linemen.
Four-star Jasper Ngokwere and three-star Caleb Siler will both come to Evanston this weekend to see if it's a good fit for them. Both of those rankings are per 247Sports, but Rivlas agrees with their assessment.
Ngokwere is the higher ranked player, and thus the less likely prospect to end up with Northwestern. Standing at 6-foot-6, 290 lbs, he's already a massive human capable of holding up on the blind side at the college level.
In the Big Ten, having that size early is a huge deal. But as the No. 25 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 32 player out of Texas, Ngokwere also must have solid technique for a high schooler.
His recruitment is, understandably, fairly hot. According to 247, Missouri currently has the best odds, which is notable for a top player from a football state like Texas. Additionally, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech and Texas are in the mix.
With two in-state, flagship universities vying for Ngokwere's services, it will be difficult to convince him to come to Northwestern, but David Braun and co. are taking their shot.
Siler is also a mass of humanity, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 290 lbs. He's also from Texas, listed as the No. 74 tackle and the No. 115 player in the state for 2027.
Also in the mix are Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Duke and Florida State. Those are intimidating programs for the Wildcats, even if Siler is only a three-star prospect. Again, expect the Texas schools to be difficult to dissuade him from attending.
But, Northwestern has a couple of things up its sleeve. For one, this staff and the previous staff have been stellar at developing offensive line talent. That's certainly something they can leverage in their favor when they meet with both of these players over the weekend.
The 'Cats also hired esteemed offensive coordinator Chip Kelly this offseason, hoping to bolster their offense and reverse the narrative that they can only win with defense. Kelly's presence should also serve as a major boon in recruiting offensive high school players.
Northwestern can also talk up its new stadium opening next season. Any player added in the 2027 class would stand to play his entire career in the new, state-of-the-art facility.