NU lands 4-star QB

Rivals250 quarterback Clayton Thorson has committed to Northwestern to become the second member of the Wildcats' Class of 2014.

The four-star signal caller from Wheaton (Ill.) North chose Northwestern over offers from more than a dozen other schools, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, Mississippi and NC State.

The 6-foot-4, 197-pounder is ranked as the No. 234 recruit in the country. He boasts a 4.6 40-yard dash and a 3.5 GPA, making him an ideal fit for the Wildcat program.

Thorson was last on campus for an overnight visit in early March, when he was hosted by superback Dan Vitale of crosstown rival Wheaton Warrenville South.

Thorson told Rivals' Edgy Tim O'Halloran after the visit that several things stood out about the Northwestern program.

"Really it's everything they have to offer," he said. "The football team won 10 games last season and a bowl game and they just seem to get better and better every year. The coaches and the players all seem like great guys. The academics and the after-graduation opportunities are just as impressive. Overall Northwestern was just a really impressive visit for me."

Northwestern signed quarterback Matt Alviti in this year's class, so the addition of Thorson means that the Wildcats now have landed four-star QBs in each of the last two classes.

Thorson joins cornerback Jordan Thomas in the Class of 2014. His recruiter is running backs coach Matt MacPherson, and offensive coordinator Mick McCall was also heavily involved.