Northwestern Offers Speedy Three-Star Cornerback Recruit
Northwestern's 13-man 2026 recruiting class is filled with talent, but it's missing one key position: cornerback.
Head coach David Braun and the Wildcats are still searching for talent in the secondary for their class of rising high school seniors, and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks got one step closer to finding his next recruit on Monday.
The 'Cats officially extended an offer to 5-foot-11 Jaden Vaughn out of Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas. Vaughn officially announced he'd received an offer from NU in a social media post.
"Proud to announce that I have earned an offer from @NUFBFamily!!" Vaughn wrote. "Thank you to @LaMarcusHicks and @DavidBraunFB for [your] confidence in me!"
Proud to announce that I have earned an offer from @NUFBFamily !! Thank you to @LaMarcusHicks and @DavidBraunFB for you confidence in me! @millerjeff15 @Jalil_Johnson21 @eatyohartout @adamgorney @ParkerThune @MikeRoach247 @On3Keith @GregBiggins @GPowersScout @TFloss32 pic.twitter.com/Ah0q7JA8Oi
— Jaden Vaughn (@JadenVaughn24) June 16, 2025
Vaughn has yet to take any official visits, but he is set to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 20 for his first visit with the Utes. The 181-pound defensive back holds offers from more than a dozen FBS schools, including Utah, Washington State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming.
According to 247 Sports, Vaughn is a three-star prospect and the No. 96 cornerback in the nation. He is also a star on the track, recording a blazing time of 10.89 seconds in the 100-meter dash in March. Vaughn boasts a 4.45-second 40-yard dash time in the bio of his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Northwestern currently has three other defensive backs in its 2026 class, but each of Gabe Davis-Ray, Jacob Curry and Davis Kinney are listed as safeties. Vaughn could bring speed at the cornerback position if Hicks is able to land the promising recruit.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.