Peter Skoronski was one of the highest-rated recruits of the Pat Fitzgerald era, so there were considerable expectations placed upon him by Wildcat followers. They wondered if he'd live up to his ranking as a four-star prospect and the No. 4 player in Illinois,

Even the most optimistic of them probably didn’t foresee Skoronski starting his very first college game at left tackle. Yet that's exactly where he'll be on Saturday night in the Wildcats’ season opener.

It’s an incredible accomplishment for a true freshman to start on the offensive line, a place where incoming players typically need a year or two in the weight room before they can do battle with behemoths in the Big Ten.

But, as fifth-year senior guard Nik Urban points out, Skoronski “is an incredible player.”

Skoronski, from nearby Park Ridge (Ill.) Maine South, was listed as the co-starter at left tackle, along with redshirt freshman Zachary Franks, on the first two-deep of the 2020 season the program released on Monday.

Head coach Pat Fitzgerald said that Skoronski would get the start against Maryland. He listed Franks as the co-starter because he fully expects Franks and others to continue to challenge Skoronski’s status as the starter in the coming weeks.

But Skoronski earned the right to get the job.

"Peter did the best job from a consistency standpoint," said Fitzgerald during a Zoom call with media on Monday. "That would be the reason he gets the opportunity to go out there and start."

Skoronski looked all along like he could be one of those rare offensive lineman who comes in ready to compete in the Big Ten. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds. He's a powerfully built player who showed on film the footwork and athleticism to potentially play right away.

Northwestern doesn't get many many of those types of linemen. Patrick Ward played on the offensive line as a true freshman in 2009, though he didn't start right away. Skoronski's predecessor at left tackle, Rashawn Slater, started his very first college game at right tackle.

Both Ward and Slater started their careers at right tackle before moving to the left. Skoronski will start on the left, the most challenging and important spot on the line. On top of that, he will replace Slater, who opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft.

"To come in as a true freshman and play at the level he's playing it is huge," said Urban, who will be lining up next to Skoronski as the left guard. "It's fun to see for this year and for the future of the team."

Skoronski isn’t the only first-year on the two- deep, either. Fellow true freshman Josh Priebe, as well as redshirt freshmen Franks and Dom D’Antonio all appear on the two-deep for the first time as backups.

Fitzgerald said he feels confident in Skoronski partly because he'll be playing next to Urban, a team captain whom he can lean on for support. Urban has started 14 games in his career and has seen it all. He knows that the learning curve in jumping from the Central Suburban League to the Big Ten can be steep.

"Things can get pretty crazy out there," he said.

Urban remembers his first start, in 2018, when "his eyes were wide" and veteran center Jared Thomas had to pull him aside and tell him, "'Hey, dude, it's just football.'"

Urban's advice to Skoronski on Saturday night will be similarly simple.

"You're a heck of a player, so you should be confident in everything, and your talent, and what coaches have prepared you for," he said. "You just go out and play. You find out that football is football, and it's a blast when you're out there."

Skoronski, who is a bit undersized for a left tackle at 6-foot-4, has some big shoes to fill. Slater was the best offensive lineman on the team and is projected by many to be a first-round draft pick next spring.

But Urban says that offensive line coach Kurt Anderson emphasizes that the bar won't be lowered for Skoronski just because he's a freshman.

"The expectations of a Northwestern left tackle is to be the best left tackle in the Big Ten, which is what Rashawn was," said Urban.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for Skoronski to reach Slater's status, but Urban has been impressed so far.

"Skoronski coming in and playing the level he's playing, it is incredible," he said.

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