Even as Northwestern deals with the fallout from the hazing scandal that cost longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald his job, the work of preparing for the 2023 season goes on.
So does the process of building the roster for 2024 and beyond, which is where Carson Grove comes in.
The senior athlete from Hersey committed to Northwestern on Monday, a milestone in interim coach David Braun’s efforts to bring some stability to the troubled program.
Grove, a 5-10, 170-pounder who plays both ways for the Huskies, is NU’s first commitment since the scandal broke. He’s projected as a receiver in college after catching 40 passes for 861 yards (21.5 average) and nine touchdowns as a junior.
Grove also ran 10 times for 84 yards and two TDs, returned two kickoffs and two punts for scores, and had 35 tackles and three interceptions.
He received the NU offer just days before committing. But it wasn’t a hard choice.
“Definitely, it was a school that was among my dream schools from the start,” said Grove, a strong student who also has a Yale offer.
He goes in aware of the pall cast over the program by the hazing allegations.
“It definitely was something that had to be talked about,” Grove said. “I talked to my parents, I talked to my head coach [Tom Nelson]. He said there’s still a great coaching staff.”
Nelson has known Braun for several years through the latter’s recruiting the Chicago area for FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
“I think he’s a great guy, he’s a great coach,” Nelson said of Braun.
That eases any concerns Nelson might have had about seeing Grove go to Northwestern.
“We talked about all that,” Nelson said. “Obviously there’s going to be concerns from the parents. It’s probably safer than any place in the country right now.”
Adding to Nelson and Grove’s comfort level is the input from Northwestern receiver and Prospect grad Frank Covey IV. Covey has trained with Nelson in the offseason since he was a sixth-grader.
“He gave me some words of wisdom,” Grove said of Covey.
Having someone he knows and competed against in high school as a college teammate, especially in these circumstances, “is going to help a lot,” Grove said.
Braun isn’t the only coach new to NU whom Grove is establishing a relationship with. Receivers coach Armonn Binns joined the Wildcats in January from Youngstown State.
That also helps ease concerns about joining the program. In any case, Nelson believes Grove can thrive in Evanston.
“I think it’s a really good fit for him and the school,” Nelson said. “They’ve had a lot of success with players very similar to him.”
Grove is glad to be done with recruiting ahead of his final prep season, which starts on Monday with the beginning of preseason practice.
“That was very stressful ... going through that process,” he said. “Before Northwestern, I didn’t feel like I had the best fit.”
Grove is one of two local seniors in Northwestern’s nine-member class, along with Glenbrook North edge rusher Patrick Schaller.
Now Grove is ready to focus on building on the success of Hersey’s 10-1 finish in 2022. He’s one of two Big Ten recruits on the roster, along with Iowa-bound Will Nolan, a 6-6, 285-pound offensive tackle.
“Coming off a strong season last year, we’ve got our quarterback back [Colton Gumino], which is huge,” Grove said.
So is having a Big Ten-caliber receiver to throw to.
