Northwestern Offers Local 2027 Defensive Back After Finalizing Staff

Northwestern already has five high school juniors committed to its Class of 2027, and David Braun is looking to fill his group further with local recruits.

On Friday afternoon, defensive back Jake Thies announced he had received an offer from Braun and the Wildcats. Thies plays safety and running back for Fenwick High School in nearby Oak Park, Illinois, where he helped the Friars win the IHSA Class 6A State Championship last fall.

"After a great call with @DavidBraunFB, @CoachDrewGray, and @LaMarcusHicks I am blessed to receive an offer from Northwestern University!" Thies posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Thies, like many members of the Class of 2027, does not yet have a star ranking from online recruiting platforms. However, Thies has already earned the interest of several Power Four football programs.

Since completing his stellar junior season, Thies has picked up offers from schools such as Iowa, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Illinois, Duke, and UCLA.

The 6-foot, 180-pound safety and running back put up video game numbers on both sides of the ball last season at Fenwick. Thies ran for 1,307 yards on 8.6 yards per carry and added another 422 receiving yards. As a defender, Thies racked up five interceptions, three forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and nine tackles-for-loss.

He also compiled 20 touchdowns on the way to the State Championship.

In his final game of the season, Thies ran for a 74-yard touchdown and sealed the game with a late interception. He compiled 161 total yards, two touchdowns and 18 tackles on top of snagging the winning pick.

Northwestern's offer comes just days after the Wildcats finalized their defensive staff for the 2026 season. Cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks was elevated to lead the entire secondary and nickels coach Drew Gray was promoted to coach the safeties. Senior analyst Jeff Copp was also named a senior defensive assistant and nickels coach, while former Wildcat Fred Wyatt joined the program as a defensive line specialist.

While Thies is primarily being recruited as a safety, his explosiveness could be intriguing for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Current Northwestern running back Caleb Komolafe also committed to the 'Cats as a safety, but broke out on offense last fall in his first major role. Komolafe led the Wildcats on the ground with 941 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and added 60 receiving yards and a score through the air.

Thies' hometown, Oak Park, is less than an hour drive from Evanston.