Playing for Family: Meet Northwestern Class of 2022 Commit DE Denis Jaquez Jr.
Northwestern secured a driven and athletic defensive lineman in edge rusher Denis Jaquez Jr.
After becoming the seventh athlete to commit to NU's Class of 2022, the three-star recruit out of Richland, NJ sat down for an exclusive interview with Wildcats Daily to break down his commitment decision.
Jaquez announced his commitment to Northwestern on June 23rd, just days after he made his official visit to Evanston the weekend of June 18th. For the 6'4", 235 pound DE, deciding to take his talents to the Lake was an easy one.
“The moment I went up there," Jaquez said of when he made up his mind to become a Wildcat. "At the end of the first day of my visit, I already knew that was the spot.”
The decision was made simple because of one major factor—the Northwestern coaching staff and their ability to make him feel like an integral part of the program's future.
"Those are real cool guys," he said. "I look up to those guys. They talk to me as if I’m already on the team. When they spoke to me you could tell they wanted the best for me.”
During his visit, Jaquez also received honest advice from members of the current NU squad, which helped inform his decision.
"They kept it real with me," Jaquez said about the players he met during his trip to Evanston. "They didn’t try to persuade me to come. They told me how it’s going to be, what I should expect, and, if I’m ready for it, to join the family.”
Jaquez received offers from 25 programs, including Northwestern, Rutgers, Texas A&M, Maryland and Liberty. However, the NU coaching staff stood out from all the rest in one crucial way: stability.
“Those guys have been there for a good amount [of time]," Jaquez said. "I’m looking at those other schools, and those coaches are in and out... that’s not something I’m going to have to worry about at Northwestern.”
Jaquez talks with the coaching staff on a daily basis in preparation for his senior season at St. Augustine Prep.
“We speak about what they see me as in their defensive program, in the scheme and all that. Right now they’re going to have me as an outside edge rusher. They talk to me about my playing weight, stuff we’re going to do up there, and my potential.”
During his 2020 season, the junior recorded 26 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, and two sacks. Jaquez cites his agility and strength as qualities that will help him fit in with Northwestern's defensive line.
“I think I'm a good fit because I’m powerful, I have some good speed, and I make plays. I feel like I can definitely add that to the Northwestern defense."
During his official visit, Jaquez broke down his game with defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and defensive line coach Marty Long. Jaquez was excited when his future coaches compared his style of play to that of current Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes.
"We sat in the film room and they were comparing my plays to Jerry Hughes’ plays," he said. "I was just looking at it like, ‘wow, I really play like this guy and it’s really dope.’ It’s just someone you can look up to and you can try to mimic your game after.”
When comparing his game with Hughes', Jaquez noticed technical similarities in stance and agility.
“First thing I noticed is that I’m also a standup defensive end," Jaquez explained. "I’m in a 2-point stance and Jerry Hughes was also in a 2-point stance. He can stop and run at any time, and I can do the same thing. He’s also a great pass rusher, which is something I want to be. It’s something I can improve on, but it’s something I’m definitely going to improve on.”
Between now and the time he puts on a purple and white uniform for the first time, Jaquez is doing anything it takes to earn playing time.
“Definitely to get on the field," Jaquez said of his biggest goal at NU. "One-hundred percent. I want to play. I’m not a guy who likes to watch other people play. I’m proud when they play and they make big plays, but I also want to be the guy who makes the big plays.”
However, when it comes to making the transition from high school to college, it isn't the intensified level of football that Jaquez anticipates being his biggest adjustment. Instead, the 18-year-old views time away from his family as the greatest challenge he'll face.
“They're my biggest supporters," Jaquez said of his family. "They’re at every game and at every training session. They drive me to every training session and drive me back home. They make sure I’m eating right, make sure I’m drinking the right fluids. They make sure my grades are on point—everything. They’re just on me, and it’s a good thing...that’s something that I need.”
Jaquez credits his family for keeping him motivated through big challenges and life changes, such as moving over 800 miles from Richland to Evanston.
“Where we’re coming from, we don’t have the greatest upbringing. I have home in my head all the time. I’m not just playing for myself, I’m playing for my family—my mom, my dad, my younger brother, my cousins, my aunts, uncles, you name it—all of them.”
Before every football game, Jaquez cherishes moments with his family.
“We have a prayer every morning on the way to school as a family," he said. "They wish me luck, of course. My dad always texts me right before the game and tells me that he’s going to be there, to play my heart out and to pretend like it’s my last game.”
Jaquez maintains the mentality encouraged by his father—to play like every game is his last—every time he puts on a football uniform.
“You never know when it’s the last one, so you might as well play your hardest,” he said.
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