OT Lee commits to the NIU Huskies
Joliet (Ill.) Plainfield Central junior offensive tackle recruit Kaveon Lee (6-foot-6, 280 pounds) was able to add a recent scholarship offer from in state Northern Illinois University after attending a Huskies junior Day event. Lee then headed back to DeKalb on Friday for a second, more in depth visit and today gave the NIU Huskies and head coach Thomas Hammock his verbal commitment. Lee, who is now the NIU Huskies fourth known verbal commitment in the Class of 2025 discusses his decision here.
"NIU offered me a scholarship when I was at the Junior Day a few weeks ago," Lee said. "I was really excited about NIU on that visit. so I went back on Friday to talk more with the coaches and get more answers. I talked everything over with my family and my coaches and today I gave Coach (Thomas) Hammock my verbal commitment."
Lee, who was starting to draw increased recruiting interest from several Power 4 schools including Illinois, Iowa State, Cincinnati and Purdue pointed towards some of the key reasons he gave NIU his early commitment.
"NIU just really made me feel welcome and a part of the family. They have a great staff and the coaches all seem like good people to play for at the next level. I was able to also talk with some of the players at NIU and I was able to learn more about the day to day as a player at NIU. All of the players talked about the coaches and how well they all get a long. NIU is also really close to home which is great for my family. I just feel like NIU is a great place for me and I can go in and make a name for myself."
So why commit to the Huskies this early in the recruiting process? .
"NIU just feels right to me. I know I'll be going to a strong football program where I can also get a good education. It's also close to home which is a real positive especially for my family. NIU is really the first school I've visited and they offer everything I was looking for in a school. I just didn't see a need to wait to make a decision. I'm locked in now and it's a great feeling."
Sop what is NIU getting in Kaveon Lee?
"NIU is getting a hard worker and a great player. My goal is to become the greatest offensive tackle in school history. I'm excited to be a part of the program and now I can just get back to work and not worry about recruiting."
Kaveon Lee is the fourth known verbal commitment in the NIIU Class of 2025 and the second known in state pledge joining Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin DE Chuck Lanier.