Northwestern lost a recruit yesterday, as 2027 running back Zion Mabry made his decision to decommit from the program.
"First off I'd like to thank GOD and @CoachAT23 (Aristotle Thompson) and @NUFBFamily and HC Braun. I am no longer committed to Northwestern University and my recruitment is 100% open," Mabry said via a post to X yesterday.
According to Wildcat Report, Mabry made this decision because he didn't feel like he was a fit in Chip Kelly's offense. Northwestern's new offensive coordinator traditionally values speed at the RB position, and Mabry is more of a power runner, standing at 6-foot-1, 225 lbs.
This is not an uncommon fall out of hiring a new coach at any spot. When Mabry was recruited, Zach Lujan was still Northwestern's OC, so the situation has changed and the player got uncomfortable.
Losing Mabry is not a disaster for the Wildcats. There will be other running backs, and he's only ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, while 247Sports still lists him as unranked.
However, now that his recruitment is back open, some bigger programs could swoop in and make him more of a hot commodity. You never know how a player might be valued on the open market.
As of right now, though, Mabry's outstanding offers include Georgia State, Troy and UMASS, according to 247. None of those programs are at NU's level, so he must either be confident he isn't a fit here or confident he'll get a better offer or both.
Recently, in tandem with offensive line development, Northwestern has been a good place for RBs to come and get better. Playing behind a stout line, players like Evan Hull, Cam Porter, Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II have all found varying levels of success.
Just last year, freshman back Dashun Reeder even made an impact in limited action before an injury. David Braun has never been afraid to go with the hot hand, no matter what experience level that player has.
Mabry might not have had the talent to contribute in year one, but he could have probably found success in a Wildcat uniform. Both Kelly and Braun have talked this offseason about adapting the offense to the talent on the roster and not being too rigid.
Evidently, Mabry doesn't buy that he'd find success, even with that attitude. He will now have the opportunity to test the market again and see if any schools have been waiting in silence for this to potentially happen.