Lemke-Bell commits

Oak Park (Ill.) River-Forest junior offensive prospect Adam Lemke-Bell (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) made an unofficial visit to Northwestern yesterday. Lemke-Bell came home, slept on it and gave the Wildcats his verbal commitment just moments ago.

"I had a great visit yesterday at Northwestern," Lemke-Bell said. "I came home and felt like I was ready to commit but I wanted to sleep on it. I woke up this morning and the first thing on my mind was Northwestern. I called Coach (Pat) Fitzgerald and gave him my verbal commitment."

Lemke-Bell talked about why he decided to pledge to the Northwestern Wildcats.

"It's everything that Northwestern has to offer. Growing up in Chicagoland you know that Northwestern offers so much on and off the field. I just feel like the best overall fit for me is at Northwestern. The mix of academics, Big Ten football, the tradition and also the stability of the coaching staff all added up. I'm just very excited, honored and humbled to have this opportunity. I just woke up today and I didn't want to let this chance slip away. I'm excited about my decision and so is my family."

Lemke-Bell admitted that once the Wildcats offered him, that offer was a game changer.

"It was exciting when Northwestern offered me and that offer caught my attention. I was willing to travel and see other schools but once I was at Northwestern yesterday I felt like I was at home. My family can stay at home and watch me play. I can get a great education, play for great coaches and in the end everything i was looking for in a school for me is at Northwestern."

Lemke-Bell is also thrilled to have completed his recruiting process today.

"It was a fun process but I also feel like I made the right decision. I was ready to make my decision and it feels great. I'm just so grateful to all of the schools who recruited me but in the end I found the right school."

Adam Lemke-Bell is verbally committed to Northwestern.