When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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MORE: How each Big Ten team is addressing biggest recruiting need
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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THE SITUATION
Barryn Sorrell was a major recruiting victory for Northwestern.
The three-star defensive lineman from New Orleans (La.) Holy Cross picked the Wildcats over more than a dozen programs in early June. But in recent days Sorrell backed off his pledge and reopened his recruitment.
Sorrell’s commitment to coach Pat Fitzgerald’s club was big for many reasons: It showed that the Big Ten program can dip into the talent-rich South for top prospects and the three-star prospect has position versatility across the defensive line.
With his physical ability and motor, Sorrell could have been an early standout in Northwestern’s defense.
However, it doesn’t look like it will happen now.
Arizona State has offered Sorrell after his de-commitment and then Virginia offered in September. Baylor, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Missouri, Purdue, Vanderbilt and others remain in the mix.
LOCAL REACTION
"The loss of Sorrell is a blow to the Wildcats. He was an under-the-radar commit back in June, so plucking him out of talent-rich Louisiana was quite a recruiting win. Sorrell created more and more buzz over the summer, and then especially once the season started and his stock continued to rise. The fact that he was never able to visit Northwestern due to COVID-19 and the recruiting dead period was no doubt a big factor in why the Wildcats were unable to hold on to him.
"Sorrell is an explosive player with a non-stop motor, and he plays a premium position: You can never have too many quality defensive tackles on your roster. He was the only DT in Northwestern’s 2021 class, and the news breaking this late in the cycle - and on the eve of the season-opener, no less - rubs a little salt in the wound. - Louie Vaccher, WildcatReport.com
Sting Factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
“I had just highlighted Sorrell as one of the best sleeper commits in the Big Ten, and now he’s gone and this hurts Northwestern. He’s a big, athletic body who was going to play inside. He was a nice get from the South.” - Mike Farrell, Rivals national recruiting director
Sting Factor: 8
