If Carl Richardson is as calm, cool and collected at the end of football games as he was at the end of his recruiting cycle, Northwestern could have its next star quarterback on its hands.

After all, a collapsing pocket can’t present much more pressure than Richardson’s commitment scenario did.

Think about it. Until Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, when Richardson reached out to Northwestern to let them know he was available, he hadn’t had any meaningful contact with Wildcat coaches in more than a year. Yet, 48 hours later, the newly minted three-star signal caller from Salinas (Calif.) committed to head coach Pat Fitzgerald to give the Wildcats the quarterback they’d been seeking for their 2020 class.

Richardson’s plan all along was to enroll in January at the school of his choice. It’s just that, until Friday, he didn’t know where he would be enrolling. He pulled off the recruiting equivalent of an inside straight on the final card.

“I couldn’t be more fortunate,” said Richardson.

Find out everything you need to know about Northwestern’s new quarterback and the surreal route he took to become a Wildcat in this WildcatReport premium story.