Northwestern has had several football players over the years who turned down scholarship offers from other schools to play for the Wildcats.

Many had offers from Ivy League and other FCS programs. Some had Group of Five offers. Joe Spivak famously turned down Michigan State to be a walkon for the Wildcats in 2017.

But maybe no one has turned down as many quality offers as Greyson Metz did when he committed to the Wildcats as a preferred walkon last Friday.

The three-star linebacker from Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West collected 17 scholarship offers in all. Nine came from the Ivy League and other FCS schools, five came from the Group of Five and, most tellingly, three came from Power Five programs.

For a chance to walkon at Northwestern, Metz turned down full rides to Iowa, a Big Ten program, and both Louisville and Syracuse from the ACC.

But that's not the way Metz looked at things when he made the decision. He decided to commit to the right school and the right football program for him, regardless of whether that school offered him a scholarship. He's going to play at the school that, to him, offers the best combination high-level football and Top-10 academics.

The fact that he won't be able to go there for free is, if you'll pardon the pun, academic.