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Double trouble today, as we analyze two guys who have yet to play at Northwestern, so let's get to it:
No. 73, Adam DePietro, Offensive Lineman, freshman
Who he be: Adam was one of the stars of the 2012 recruiting class out of Lancaster, PA, a.k.a. the Persa Belt. Rivals had him as a three-star recruit, but Scout dissented, having him as one of NU's two four-star recruits in the class alongside linebacker Ifeadi Odenigbo. The difference is probably that Rivals views the 6-foot-5, 270 pounder as an undersized offensive tackle while Scout sees him as the No. 10 offensive guard in the country. He had offers from a pretty wide range of schools, from the smartypants league in Vandy and BC to Big Ten schools like Illinois to a lot of Big East squads like Rutgers, Pitt, and West Virginia. But he came to NU, where he looks to have a fruitful career as a highly-touted offensive lineman. I don't expect him to play right away though, so there's not much in the works for this year.
No. 71, Shane Mertz, Offensive Lineman, redshirt freshman
Who he be: Mertz is a big boy - 6-foot-8, 295 - continuing Northwestern's trend of getting bigger and better o-linemen than in years past. Out of HS, he had offers from West Virginia, Illinois, Virginia, Lousiville, Maryland, and other schools of similar status, but chose NU, where he redshirted his freshman year. I'm not sure how far down the depth chart he is at offensive tackle, but I don't think he's a likely subject to get more than reserve reps this season as a redshirt freshman.