Northwestern High School offensive lineman Jordan Knox commits to Big 10 school
Jordan Knox has been protecting quarterbacks and widening running lanes all his life.
And in doing so, he’s paved quite the path of his own.
Knox, a Northwestern High School junior offensive lineman and soon-to-be three-year captain, announced his commitment to Northwestern University this past weekend. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound star is now a year away from joining the Big 10 — a Power Five football conference known for producing some of the toughest linebackers and linemen in college football.
When asked if he ever imagined that he’d be playing Big 10 football, Knox shook his head and smiled in disbelief.
“I actually talked to my dad about this the other day,” Knox told The Herald. “It’s just crazy, dude. Playing Big 10 football … that’s the conference for trench football. And I’m in it now. It’s crazy. I just can’t believe it.”
Knox might be the only one who’s surprised about his future home.
The Rock Hill native entered the 2021 season with a few Division I offers in hand, including from Southern Florida, and then did all he could to prove to colleges around the country that an investment in him was a good one.
The All-State and All-Region left tackle finished his junior year with 38 knockdown blocks, no sacks allowed and an overall grade of 88 percent. Along the way, his offensive line paved the way for 2,093 total Trojan rushing yards and helped make it possible for one of the most prolific passing attacks in South Carolina to flourish.
As of Tuesday, Knox is a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He’s expected to move from left tackle to an interior lineman at Northwestern University and he’s the second OL commit and the 10th commit overall the Wildcats have snagged in the Class of 2023.
Beyond his statistics and physical prowess, Trojans head coach Page Wofford said what makes Knox special is who he is off the field.
“Jordan has done everything with class from Day 1,” Wofford told The Herald. The coach said this after seeing his junior lineman watch and support three of their senior teammates sign to play college football on Tuesday — evidence of a leadership Wofford has witnessed for three years.
“Very good family,” Wofford continued. “Got great support at home. I’m just happy to play a small part in his life. Signing with Northwestern won’t be the highlight of his life. He’ll be a good guy, a good father. He’s what we’re trying to produce at Northwestern.”
Knox credits a lot of who he is to his father, Anthony, as well as to the rest of his family.
“I think it comes from my dad, to be honest,” Knox said. “He just taught me from a young age to be not be a follower, to be a leader. If you stick out, that’s perfectly fine. If you stick out and get called ‘weird’ — that’s perfectly fine.”
He added: “Sometimes you gotta tell guys what they don’t want to hear. You gotta be a leader and stick out. But first of all, you have to be doing the right things first for them to listen to you when you do lead. That’s all a part of it.”
Knox said he chose Northwestern for a variety of reasons. Among them: The campus felt like home. The coaches and players felt like family. Northwestern’s football program is about as high a level of college football as there is. The academics resemble that of an Ivy League school. The facilities are “ridiculous.”
And, Knox added with a grin, “That name — Northwestern — has a pretty cool kick to it, doesn’t it?”
Knox has a few things he wants to accomplish athletically at Northwestern High School before he embarks up to Evanston, Illinois.
For one, he hopes to have a good showing at the Class 5A track and field state championships this weekend. He qualified to throw the shot put (personal best 49-8) and discus (personal best 145). He said that it felt strange not being out there for the spring football season while his track and field season wraps up, but he also said that he loves that some of the younger guys are getting reps and building important experience in his stead.
That other athletic accomplishment? He wants what at one point felt so close this past season: A state championship.
It’s fair to say that Knox and Wofford and all the Trojans want that. But whatever happens, Knox’s impact on the Northwestern football program won’t be soon forgotten.
When asked about what it might be like not having Knox on his team, Wofford cracked a joke that was funny purely because it was true: “I don’t want to think about it,” he said.
“I mean, at Northwestern, of course somebody is going to step up, and we’ll have somebody in his place,” Wofford said. “But this has been his place for four years. There’s never been any question.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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