New Trier tight end Northwestern- bound
New Trier junior tight end Brian Kaiser has given an oral commitment to Northwestern.
‘‘ It’s the best feeling ever,’’ said Kaiser, a 6- 7, 210- pounder.
Kaiser also had scholarship offers from Western Michigan, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, Duke and more. The recruiting process was a busy one, but he said it was one he thoroughly enjoyed.
‘‘ It was fun,’’ Kaiser said. ‘‘ Awesome to know that my hard work is being noticed. Got stressful a week before I committed.’’
At that point, Kaiser knew NU was where his future lay.
‘‘ They have an amazing school for academics, and they have coaches I can trust,’’ Kaiser said. ‘‘ And the guys on the team are friendly and funny.’’
The coaches who recruited Kaiser most were Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald and super backs coach Bob Heffner.
‘‘ I love Fitz’s honesty and Heffner’s humor,’’ Kaiser said.
NU was always a school Kaiser liked. In fact, he said getting a scholarship offer from the Wildcats was a big thing for him.
‘‘ It was the second- best feeling in the world,’’ Kaiser said. ‘‘ Committing is No. 1.’’
His commitment was an exciting time for the whole family.
‘‘ My dad and mom were both super happy and proud of me,’’ Kaiser said. ‘‘ My mom even teared up a bit.’’
Thompson getting looks
One of Phillips’ next big prospects is sophomore Joseph Thompson. The 5- 10, 160- pounder is being recruited as an athlete, but he plays mostly cornerback and receiver for Phillips.
‘‘ Recruiting in general has been going steady,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘ I have visited Michigan State and Northern Illinois. Penn State, Iowa State and Minnesota have also reached out to me.’’
Thompson recently got a scholarship offer from the Huskies.
‘‘ I visited Northern Illinois, and a couple of minutes before I was going to leave, I went into the head coach’s office,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘ He told me that he was going to offer me [ a scholarship]. That was the best feeling I’ve had in a while.’’
Thompson said several things have stood out to him on the visits he has taken.
‘‘ What I liked about the visits were the vibes of the campus, coaches and seeing the athletic departments,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘ Also seeing what college is like with the dorms, academics and the players’ schedule.’’
Coaches are responding to what Thompson has shown on the field.
‘‘ They are saying they like my passion, versatility, sacrificing for my teammates and my leadership,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘ They think I bring a lot to the table at corner with the ability to play press man- to- man and coming up making tackles. Plus, my technique at receiver and route- running is something they say they like. Just my overall game.’’
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