Northwestern got a bit of a surprise on Wednesday night when unranked defensive end Nick Zalewski announced his commitment to the Wildcat program.

A tall, thin prospect from Worthington (Ohio) Thomas Worthington, Zalewski visted Northwestern on Feb. 1, when he picked up his offer from head coach David Braun.

Things were pretty quiet for about a month and a half after that, until he posted his commitment on X, saying he is "1000% committed!!" to the program.

Northwestern likes to tout itself as a developmental program, and Zalewski, whose only other Division I offers were from MAC schools, is likely a developmental prospect. But at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Zalewski has the frame to gain the weight necessary to playing on the line of scrimmage in the Big Ten, as well as considerable athletic upside.

Zalewski chose Northwestern over offers from Kent State, Toledo and D-II Tiffin, where his older brother, Joey, plays. He also reported interest from Cincinnati, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Yale.

Last season, Zalewski racked up 71 tackles, 14 TFL three sacks and a pick-6 for Worthington. He also plays basketball for the Cardinals and earned second-team all-conference recognition.

Zalewski is the third commitment in Northwestern's 2026 class, joining three-star quarterback Johnny O'Brien and three-star corner Joshua Sims.