Visit our new Front Page Store . New Sign up for MyNews Receive headline news, full articles and breaking news via the Web or wireless device. Dallas Jesuit defensive lineman Thomas Derricks has spent plenty of time investigating his college choices. On Tuesday, he made the decision that has been two years in the making. Search our Top 100 high school football recruits database Derricks, a member of The News' Top 100 national recruiting list, made an oral commitment to Northwestern.
Oral commitments are non-binding.
The first day a recruit can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 7. He made official visits to Notre Dame, Penn State, Duke and UCLA before choosing Northwestern. Derricks said the small-school atmosphere at Northwestern helped sway his decision. I like the atmosphere of the small school, and I like their theatre arts department. And there I know, that if I didn't have football, that socially and academically, I'll be all right.