Northwestern football reporter casts doubt after priority 2026 recruit gets SEC offer

Contributor
Sarah Barber
Northwestern football reporter casts doubt after priority 2026 recruit gets SEC offer image

Northwestern football head coach David Braun’s 2026 recruiting class is currently ranked 62nd among division I teams, per 247Sports. The group lacks four- or five-star recruits, and has missed out on a few notable athletes

The Wildcats have had some recent recruiting successes, including the three-star additions of tight end Tom McGlinchey and cornerback Jayden Vaughn last month. In May, three-star linebacker Jacob Curry committed to Northwestern following a strong high school career in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. 

Curry’s commitment to Northwestern is still only verbal, but it could be in jeopardy.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound LB announced his offer from the SEC — specifically, Brett Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners — via Twitter Tuesday morning.

 

 

It’s bad news for the Wildcats.

“The Cats will have to fight to hold onto him,” Wildcat Report’s Louie Vaccher said in response to Curry’s post.

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Flipping to the SEC would be a no-brainer for Curry. 

The Sooners are projected to finish 10th of 16th conference teams, per Sports Illustrated’s SEC Media Preseason Poll, while the Wildcats are expected to finish 17th of 18 in the Big Ten. Bill Bender ranked Venables at No. 41 among all 136 college football coaches, compared to Braun at No. 59. 

Based on his size, Curry will transition from linebacker to safety during his college career. The Sooners’ current depth chart will most likely return four upperclassmen safeties in 2026, while Northwestern stands to return three younger athletes. If he opts for Oklahoma, the Sooners’ safeties would be a more experienced group for the future freshman to learn from.