Talk about starting off a recruiting class with a bang.

Northwestern was the last Big Ten program to land a 2022 commitment, but they couldn’t have asked for a much better first pledge than Reggie Fleurima. He’s the recruiting equivalent of returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Naperville (Ill.) Central product checks all the boxes.

He is a big-time, four-star recruit with a No. 203 national ranking. He plays wide receiver, a position of need for a Wildcat team that has lacked offensive firepower. He hails from the Chicago area, where head coach Pat Fitzgerald always focuses his efforts. And he is just the kind of player who can attract other commits to join him.

In fact, as he told WildcatReport on Monday night – one day before he committed and two days before he announced it to the world – one of the reasons he decided to pull the trigger now, rather than waiting until later, was that he wanted to recruit other players to Evanston.

“I want to be the first one so I can get more to join me,” he said.