Watkins' word: Northwestern

Evan Watkins had a feeling about Northwestern.

Despite the attention he received from college football programs throughout the country, the Evanston campus just seemed to fit.

So right before attending the Wildcats' spring practice on Saturday, the Glenbard North quarterback gave his verbal commitment to the Northwestern coaching staff.

"I told them I wanted to be a Wildcat," Watkins said. "It's a great place to be a quarterback."

The powerful 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior also had scholarship offers from Iowa and Northern Illinois. While he seriously weighed all three offers, Northwestern felt the most comfortable to Watkins -- for its academics as well as its wide-open offensive style of play.

"I took everything into consideration, but Northwestern stood out," he said. "And I wanted to make the decision before football season so I could just concentrate on that."

In the fall Watkins led Glenbard North to a 9-5 record and a surprise run to the Class 8A state championship game, where the Panthers fell to DuPage Valley Conference rival Naperville North.

Especially effective during Glenbard North's playoff run, Watkins completed 134 of 250 passes for 2,007 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also rushed for 365 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Watkins' combination of strength and speed is what impressed colleges the most, Northwestern included.

"They liked me because I can run and throw pretty well," Watkins said. "They just think the dual threat fits into their system."