Akron grad transfer long snapper Liam Reardon is coming home.
Reardon, who is originally from Chicago and attended Mt. Carmel High School, committed to the Wildcats on Wednesday, he told WildcatReport. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder will replace previous long snapper Will Halkyard, a three-year starter who transferred to TCU earlier this month.
In an example of how quickly things are moving in this transfer portal window for Northwestern, Reardon's recruitment was wrapped up in a three-day period. He told WildcatReport that Northwestern offered him a scholarship on Monday night, and he committed during a visit on Wednesday.
Reardon was the starter for Akron this season and even scored a touchdown for the Zips when he recovered a muffed punt in the end zone against Bowling Green (see the video clip below). He also scored a two-point conversion against Eastern Michigan, giving him eight points on the season -- a surprising total for a long snapper.
He spent the previous four years at Iowa, where he didn't appear in any games but was still able to earn a scholarship offer from Akron.
Reardon, who goes by the nickname Buddy, said that the opportunity to come back home was an important factor in his decision process. He also had an offer from UMass.
"That played a big part of it. Being close to home," he said via text message. "Also being back in the Big Ten."