According to reports from Wildcat Report and Purple Wildcats, Northwestern has pulled its offer from 4-star wide receiver Dareian Watkins. One of the top recruits in this NU class, the exact reasoning for the pulled offer is unknown. A likely factor is that Watkins visited Wisconsin, which is currently his leader, according to 247's Steve Wiltfong. Visiting another school while committed is against Pat Fitzgerald's rules. Watkins was also recently suspended from his high school playoffs, so that could have played into the decision. More of a timeline below:
Watkins was suspended for his team's first-round playoff game, according to LimaOhio.com:
Galion was playing without its starting quarterback, Dareian Watkins. Watkins was not in the lineup due to a suspension handed down by the school during the week. The Northwestern-bound Watkins has accounted for nearly 2,800 yards this season for the Tigers.
Rumors circulated that the disciplinary issues would cause Watkins to lose his scholarship, though Watkins denied them (and this sign) on Twitter. About a week-and-a-half ago, someone very close to Watkins told us that he still had his offer:
https://twitter.com/insidenu/status/399364809256214528
According to the source, Watkins had spoken with Pat Fitzgerald about the consequences of his actions, but would be allowed to keep his offer. Now, that has apparently changed. Whether it's for the disciplinary issues or the visit to Wisconsin. we don't know.
With Watkins off the board, NU now has three scholarships left in the class of 2014. The Wildcats appear to have a good shot at landing both 4-star DE Garrett Dickerson and 4-star CB Parrker Westphal.