2020 S Gunner Maldonado commits to Northwestern

The Wildcats have secured one of their key remaining secondary targets, and one of the best names in the class of 2020, in Gunner Maldonado.

The Chandler, Arizona, native announced his commitment to Northwestern Thursday afternoon, just weeks after taking an official visit to Evanston. He chose NU over local schools Arizona and Arizona State in addition to Indiana, Iowa State, and Memphis.

Maldonado stands 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and currently holds a 0.8673 composite rating from 247Sports, spotting him solidly in the middle of Northwestern’s 2020 class. He is the second potential member of the secondary to join the Wildcats in his year, following cornerback Jaheem Joseph’s commitment in mid-December.

Current Northwestern running back Drake Anderson was a teammate of Maldonado’s for two years at Chandler High School. The safety, coming from a familiar place, has been a significant target for Pat Fitzgerald and his staff, which prompted us to mention him at length in our most recent recruiting update.

Perhaps most importantly, Maldonado joins Gunnar Vogel to give the Wildcats the most Gunn(a/e)r’s on one team in NCAA history (do not fact-check this incredibly real statistic!). Unfortunately, Vogel and Maldonado will likely be on the team for only one year together, but it should be a fun one.

Here are Maldonado’s highlights (link for Apple News users):