OT Jimmar recaps his NIU pledge

Plainfield (Ill.) East junior three star ranked offensive tackle recruit Michael Jimmar (6-foot-5, 280 pounds) decided on Monday to give nearby Northern Illinois University his verbal commitment. Jimmar, who now becomes the first in-state verbal commitment for the NIU Huskies in the Class of 2023 and second commitment overall discusses his decision in this update.

"NIU has a great staff and a winning program and culture," Jimmar said. "NIU also got to really know me and my family in the process and that was also very important to me. I felt it was time to secure my spot and I've committed to NIU. I'm now a Huskie."

Jimmar also pointed towards some of the key factors in his commitment to NIU.

"NIU has always made me feel very welcome and already a part of the family. NIU gave me the green light on an offer when a lot of other schools kept waiting and they wanted me to keep waiting before they offered me. NIU has a plan for me both as a student and as an athlete. I was thinking about waiting and seeing how things go for me this spring and summer, but I also know that spots and offers will come and go. NIU has so much to offer and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. NIU is a great place to be. It's pretty close to home which is great for my family. I'm happy and excited to represent NIU."

The timing for his verbal commitment was also to honor who passed 5 years ago Monday.

"Today (Monday) would have been my Dad's 56th birthday. He passed away 5 years ago and I just felt that this commitment would be a great way to honor him in my own way."

Did Jimmar consider any other schools before making his decision to pledge to NIU?

"I was looking pretty hard at schools like Western Michigan, Miami of Ohio plus Toledo and Kansas. Western Michigan really wanted me to commit and so did some other schools. NIU came in pretty quickly and made me feel wanted and needed at NIU."

Jimmar is also thrilled to move on from his recruiting process.

"It does feel good to make my decision known. I can just focus on training for my senior season. I'm still considering graduating early and I'm looking into more to which classes I'll need to take this summer to make that happen."

Michael Jimmar is verbally committed to Northern Illinois University.