Northwestern, South Carolina add four-star commitments in 2023

Northwestern football continues to recruit at a really high level in the 2023 class and the Wildcats added their first four-star pledge on Saturday. South Carolina also landed a four-star commitment and we break it all down.

We talked about this just a couple of days ago, but the Northwestern football program is recruiting at a really high level in the 2023 class.

At least by the standards of Northwestern football. The Wildcats get mostly three-star prospects and then Pat Fitzgerald develops them and it’s been a successful strategy. The Wildcats even land the occasional blue-chip (4-star or better) and that’s what happened on Saturday.

Northwestern just added its 14th commitment on Friday in defensive lineman Marcus Robinson but followed it up by winning the verbal pledge of four-star safety Damon Walters, who is the top-ranked recruit in the Wildcats 2023 class, which ranks sixth overall according to the 247 sports team rankings.

The Wildcats are only ranked 20th according to the On3.com team rankings, but their recruiting haul is impressive either way, especially after adding Walters who is ranked No. 371 overall in the On3 consensus rankings.

At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Walters is the fifth-best player in Northwestern’s home state of Illinois and also the 34th-best safety overall in 2023. It’s also another big-time addition for a team that was 3-9 last season, which tells you how well Pat Fitzgerald can recruit.

South Carolina football adds On3 4-star recruit

Another head coach getting a reputation as a really solid recruiter is South Carolina football’s Shane Beamer and he added the Gamecocks’ 2023 haul with the addition of offensive lineman Trovon Baugh.

Baugh is ranked 505th overall (and as a three-star) in the consensus rankings from On3 but the site’s own rankings have him ranked 217th overall and 15th nationally among interior lineman and here’s his scouting report from On3.com:

"“Big-framed, long guard with the potential to develop into a people-mover at the college level. Measured around 6-foot-3.5, 312 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length with a big frame, checking in with a wing-span over 6-foot-10 and a 10.5-inch hand. Has a strong base and carries much of his weight in his lower half. Has adequate functional athleticism and is a fluid mover. Dangerous as a puller when working to the second level. Has the natural strength to quickly neutralize smaller defensive linemen. Length is on the high end for an interior offensive lineman. Can continue to improve his hand placement and ability to sustain blocks.”"

It’s a solid addition for South Carolina football and one that was much-needed since the Gamecocks had just one commitment prior to this. However, they were also trending with four-star quarterback Dylan Lonergan and this could also help jump-start more commitments.

Either way, Baugh was a good pickup and a guy that has a good chance to outplay his ranking.