Northwestern Commit Becomes David Braun's First Four-Star Recruit

Ryan Cole

Nov 17, 2025, 23:54

Ryan Cole

Nov 17, 2025, 23:54

Updated at: Nov 17, 2025, 23:56

The receiver is having an outstanding year as a senior in high school.

Northwestern head coach David Braun reiterated his desire to build something special here at Northwestern after the team's loss to Michigan this weekend. It's clear that he wants to compete for more than just bowl games. He wants to take this program to a different tier and compete for Big Ten titles.

Part of the battle -- a large part -- will be recruiting. The 'Cats need to be able to attract higher-level talent both in the transfer portal and at the high school level.

Historically, it's been difficult for the Wildcats to recruit any high school player outside of the three-star range. Now, the tide is changing just a bit. When Northwestern initially recruited wide receiver Jaden McDuffie, he was in that range. But the pass catcher has risen to a four-star rank in the midst of a fantastic senior season.

McDuffie committed to the Wildcats back in the spring. They still have to ensure he doesn't cut-bait and decide to reopen his recruitment, but, for now, he has become the first four-star recruit in Braun's tenure as head coach.

This season, McDuffie has 1,183 yards receiving in 11 games for South River Senior High School in Edgewater, Maryland. He's averaging 23.7 yards per reception, and he's scored a whopping 16 touchdowns.

Those are dominant numbers for a high school weapon, especially at receiver, given that most teams at that level do not throw the ball as much as teams do in college or the pros. Make no mistake, McDuffie is having a monster senior year, and he's earned this ranking boost.

According to Rivals, McDuffie is now the No. 32 wideout in the 2026 class and the No. 6 player from his home state of Maryland. Other industry standard sites haven't gotten around to updating his profile, so Rivals' "Industry Rankings" have him much lower.

The site also isn't listing any new significant offers on the table for McDuffie. Teams can still poke around, but as of now, it's still just programs like Temple, Toledo and Navy with outstanding offers to the committed player.

McDuffie could be a major development for Northwestern in future seasons. As a four-star, he might be capable of helping out the offense almost immediately -- and this is an offense that needs receivers.

Griffin Wilde is a reliable No. 1 option this year, and he will return in 2026 barring a portal entry, but the 'Cats need more horses in the stable. Receiver depth has been a well-documented issue for this season's squad, and McDuffie, while still in high school, represents an emerging option to pick up some of the slack.

Northwestern Commit Becomes David Braun's First Four-Star Recruit