As the offseason rolls on, Northwestern is fully in high school recruiting mode for now until the second waive of the transfer portal begins in earnest.
Today, it offered a 2027 EDGE named Adekunbi Adetayo, a four-star prospect from Newark, New Jersey. Adetayo announced his own offer on X this afternoon.
The industry standard recruit ranking sites disagree a little on how to value Adetayo at this stage in his recruitment. Currently, 247Sports lists him as just a three-star prospect. But Rivals, which is affiliated with On3, has bumped him up to a four-star ranking.
Given that disagreement, it seems likely that Adetayo is on the rise, and that might mean Northwestern will be out-bid at some point for his services. Currently, though, the 'Cats are in the ballgame with a decent shot.
To be clear, there are absolutely programs in the mix already that are threats. Penn State, for example, has already submitted an offer, and if Adetayo thinks he has an opportunity to get real playing time there, it might be a done deal.
Virginia Tech, Wake Forrest and Duke are also options in the ACC. None of those programs are head and shoulders above NU, but the Hokies are entering a new era with James Franklin at the helm. That's a very enticing option, especially for an east coast product.
Otherwise, Cincinnati is on the list of offers, but the 'Cats appear to be in a decent spot. Of course, that could all change if other schools start submitting offers as Adetayo's rankings continue to rise. But that's a problem for another day.
In the modern era of football, creating pressure off the edge is crucial to defensive success. Just ask any NFL team that doesn't have a stud pass rusher -- it's a huge issue.
To some extent, that's the same deal in the NCAA. Last year, Northwestern could rely on veterans like Anto Saka to rush the passer. Now, the situation has become a little more murky at that position.
If David Braun can recruit big-name high school talent like Adetayo -- guys who have four-star rankings and aren't likely to be long development projects -- it would be a great sign for the future of the program.
Northwestern needs to be able to beat you with its defense, even with Chip Kelly now running the offense. Creating pressure is a huge part of maintaining that strength, and offering a player like Adetayo shows continued commitment.