Three-star LB Braydon Brus commits to Northwestern

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Northwestern landed the first defensive player in its 2022 class on Tuesday when linebacker Braydon Brus announced his commitment to the Wildcats.

The three-star prospect from Glendora (Calif.) took an official visit to Northwestern on the first weekend of June. He was at California for an official visit over the weekend but decided that he wanted to be a Wildcat. He will cancel upcoming officials to Boise State and Colorado.

"Growing up watching Big Ten football every Saturday makes this literally a dream come true," said Brus in his commitment tweet.

Brus grew up in Michigan and both of his parents attended Michigan State, but Brus decided that he will wear purple, instead of green, in college. The opportunity to play for a pair of outstanding college linebackers in head coach Pat Fitzgerald and linebackers coach Tim McGarigle was a key factor in his recruitment.

Brus called receiving an offer from Northwestern back in April an honor.

"It meant a ton, the fact that I would even be considered to go to a school like Northwestern," he told WildcatReport. "It's not only an amazing academic school, but has an amazing football program. It's just such an honor to be considered for something like that."

A fluid and fast athlete, Brus is slated to play the WILL, or weakside, linebacker position at Northwestern, where his speed will be at a premium. He doubled as a running back at Glendora, where he rushed for 239 yards and four touchdowns in his final game. For the season, Brus registered nine TFLs, a pair of sacks and a pick-six in five games as a linebacker.

Brus is the fifth commitment in Northwestern's 2020 class and its first defensive player. The Wildcats' class is currently ranked 40th in the nation by Rivals.