Here’s something Andrew Marty did not study in his Advanced Placement statistics class: His own gaudy numbers at Wyoming High School in Cincinnati.
As a senior, Marty was responsible for 50 touchdowns — 43 passing and seven rushing — while throwing just five picks.
"I knew I was due for a big year," he said.
Marty — one of 19 players who signed with Northwestern on Wednesday Netspor — was stymied as a junior, missing all but two games because of a fractured femur. Quarterbacks tend to commit early in the process, and Marty worried that no FBS schools would take a chance on him.
Miami of Ohio offered a scholarship with a limited window for accepting. He did.
Northwestern, meanwhile, needed a little more time to find a potential successor to Clayton Thorson, who has two years of eligibility left. NU coaches reached high, offering Jack Sears (who chose USC), Jack Coan (Wisconsin) and Kasim Hill (Maryland).
They also really liked Marty, even though his 247Sports.com composite ranking, at the time, put him 68th among pro-style quarterbacks.
A month after he gave Miami a verbal commitment, NU coach Pat Fitzgerald called with an offer.
"I said, ‘Shoot, I’m in a tough situation,’" Marty recalled. "But to develop fully, there was no doubt in my mind I had to take (the NU offer). Plus I love the family-first nature of the program, and my relationship with (quarterbacks coach Mick) McCall is fantastic."
Wyoming coach Aaron Hancock, who has been watching Marty since he played peewee football, called him "a really motivated kid — he is a worker."
Marty is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, with a strong enough arm and loads of intangibles. A pitcher who touches the low 90s, he got a baseball scholarship offer from Xavier.
"A very talented kid," Fitzgerald said, "and an outstanding student."
Fitzgerald said he sees similarities between Marty and Thorson, also a big-framed, mainly drop-back passer.
Said Marty: "I see myself being very close with Clayton. I’ll get in his hip pocket and be a sponge."
Photos of Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
Wildcats class at a glance
Instant impact: Ohio State wanted Earnest Brown, the nation’s sixth-ranked strong-side defensive end. Texas, Texas A&M and TCU also wooed the Dallas-area native. But the 6-5, 235-pound Brown would not budge. Fitzgerald compares him to Corey Wootton, NU’s highest NFL draft pick (109th overall) since 2006. "He’s not quite as tall as Corey, but he’s 25 pounds more developed than Corey was as a true freshman," Fitzgerald said.
Local angle: Receiver Jace James comes from Glenbard North, which produced another alliterative name — Justin Jackson. James’ best offers other than Northwestern came from MAC schools. "He’s an overachieving type of receiver," CBS Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "He has good hands, decent speed and catches everything. He’s like the New England Patriots-type receivers — they’re not going to scare you, but they produce and win."
Under the radar: Cameron Ruiz was barely known to the recruiting services when he accepted NU’s offer in April. His school, Lakes Community, is located near the Illinois-Wisconsin border. "Very few offers," Lemming said. "I’m surprised." Ruiz is a smallish (5-10, 165) cornerback with tremendous springs: He has long-jumped more than 23 feet and is potentially a more explosive athlete than former NU standout cornerback Matthew Harris.
Wildcats signees
Player, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown/school
Chee Anyanwu, LB, 6-2, 190, Buford, Ga.
Earnest Brown, DE, 6-5, 235, Aubrey, Texas
Blake Gallagher, LB, 6-0, 217, Raynham, Mass.
Sam Gerak, C/G, 6-3, 270, Avon, Ohio
Austin Hiller, S, 6-2, 200, Lakeway, Texas
Berkeley Holman, WR, 5-11, 180, Irvine, Calif.
Bryce Jackson, S, 6-1, 185, Lantana, Texas
Jace James, WR, 6-0, 182, Glenbard North
Trevor Kent, DE, 6-5, 242, Pittsburg, Kan.
Charlie Kuhbander, K/P, 5-10, 190, Springboro, Ohio
Andrew Marty, QB, 6-4, 215, Cincinnati
Kyric McGowan, WR, 5-10, 183, Dalton, Ga.
Peter McIntyre, LB, 6-2, 207, Perrysburg, Ohio
*Sam Miller, DT, 6-3, 260, Houston
J.R. Pace, S, 6-1, 185, College Park, Ga.
The talk heading into 2017 will be more about Alabama, Clemson and Florida State than the best of the Midwest, but here’s a look at where the Big Ten teams stack up.
(Teddy Greenstein)
*Trey Pugh, SB, 6-5, 220, Plain City, Ohio
Cameron Ruiz, CB, 5-10, 165, Lakes Community
Rashawn Slater, C/G, 6-5, 273, Sugar Land, Texas
Ethan Wiederkehr, OT, 6-5, 270, Wading River, N.Y.
*early enrollee
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