Cats land QB as first 2018 commit

Fourteen months before National Signing Day, Northwestern already has its quarterback for 2018.

Three-star signal caller Jason Whittaker of Rockford (Mich.) committed to the Wildcats on Saturday to become the first commitment of the class.

Whittaker, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior, picked up his offer from the Wildcats on Nov. 29. He told Rivals Josh Hemholdt that Northwestern was his favorite school even before that. He visited Evanston this weekend and decided to pull the trigger.

Whittaker chose the Wildcats over offers from Indiana, Iowa State, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, and interest from several others.

Quarterback was a priority for Northwestern in 2018 after missing on its A-list targets the last three years. Whittaker received his offer shortly before four-star quarterback target Justin Fields committed to Penn State over offers from NU and many others. The Wildcats also offered quarterbacks Re-Al Mitchell and Tanner Mordecai in recent days.

Whittaker is ranked as the No. 11 pro-style QB in the nation and No. 5 overall prospect in Michigan. Rivals categorizes Whittaker as a pro-style, but his film shows the running ability necessary to operate the Wildcats’ spread attack.

More on Whittaker: Northwestern offers 2018 quarterback