There were a lot of reasons for three-star cornerback Joshua Sims to commit to Northwestern.

The school's Top 10 academic pedigree appealed to the 4.0 student. So did the chance to play in the Big Ten, though he held offers from three other Big Ten schools, as well as programs in all four power conferences.

In the end, though, the Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn standout told WildcatReport that it was a feeling of family he got during an unofficial visit last month that led him to announce his commitment to the Wildcats on Saturday.

"The reasons I chose to become a Wildcat is because they really made me feel like I was a part of the family and team when me and my family visited," he said.

Sims and his family visited Northwestern for a spring practice on March 15. There, head coach David Braun and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks managed to convey that family to feeling to Sims, his mother and his sisters.

He said that it was more about the attention and interest the coaches showed to his family than anything else.

"Coach Hicks and Coach Braun always asked how my family were doing, and when we scheduled my spring visit they were most excited to meet my family since I speak so highly of them," he said. "We sat down with Coach Hicks privately, and he spoke to my sisters and mom, and not just me, the entire time. When we met with Coach Braun he enjoyed seeing my sisters and speaking to them and making them feel at home too.

"Family is big to me, and they showed they care about my family."

The visit experience was impactful enough to prompt Sims to pull the trigger less than a month later, before taking an official visit to any school. He said he chose the Wildcats over finalists Ole Miss, Georgia Tech and Duke.

A long, rangy 6-foot, 175-pounder, Sims has excellent size for a corner. Eleven of Sims' 19 offers came from Power Four programs. He had 65 tackles, including six TFL, last season, along with one interception and one sack.

"Coach Hicks likes my versatility of being able to play wherever on the field. He also likes that I’m a physical player who’s not scared to hit," he said. "What I bring to the Northwestern program is the dawg mentality of always working hard and not lacking in effort, and I bring the physicality that is needed to play in this physical conference."

Sims is Northwestern's second Class of 2026 commit, joining quarterback Johnny O'Brien. He is the Wildcats' first pledge in about 10 months. He will take his official visit to Northwestern on May 30-June 1.