Florida WR Wayne Dennis is a Wildcat

Looking back, Wayne Dennis’ commitment to Northwestern on Tuesday seemed almost inevitable.

Northwestern was the only Power Five school among Dennis’ 10 offers and the program’s combination of high-end academics and Big Ten football appealed to him.

So, just two days after returning from an official visit to Evanston with his parents, the unranked wide receiver from Tampa (Fla.) Armwood announced on Twitter that he had committed to the Wildcats:

Dennis told WildcatReport on Sunday that he wanted to take all five of his allotted official visits before making a decision, but he changed his mind and decided to end his recruiting process sooner than anticipated.

Dennis had what he called a “great” official visit and was blown away by the Wildcats’ new Ryan Fieldhouse practice facility on the shore of Lake Michigan. The distance between Evanston and Tampa was initially a bit of an issue for Dennis, but his time on campus allayed those concerns as he felt at home among Northwestern’s players.

At 6-foot-4 and 188 pounds, Dennis is a big, physical outside receiver in the mold of a Bennett Skowronek. That’s what new Northwestern assistant Jeff Genyk saw in Dennis when he offered him in early May.

However, wide receivers coach Dennis Springer told Dennis on his official visit that they might move him inside on occasion, where he can use his size to his advantage as a slot receiver.

Dennis is the 14th commitment in Northwestern’s 2019 class, which is currently ranked 27th in the country by Rivals. He is the second wide receiver in the group, joining three-star slot man Bryce Kirtz.

Dennis’ offer list isn’t going to wow anyone. It includes all three service academies as well as FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, but also a smattering of FCS programs and even Division II Seton Hill.

But Northwestern is a development program that prides itself on finding diamonds in the rough. Time will tell whether Dennis turns into another valuable gem for the Wildcats.