Just when Jack Lausch thought he had everything figured out, a late scholarship offer from Northwestern resulted in a whirlwind 10 days of evaluating options for Brother Rice’s star quarterback leading up to signing day.
Lausch, the 2021 Daily Southtown Football Player of the Year, had to decide between sticking with his original plan of going as a preferred walk-on for football and baseball to Notre Dame — the school he grew up cheering for — or taking the scholarship to play football in the Big Ten at Northwestern.
“It was a fun week, but it was an intense week, for sure,” Lausch said. “It’s a good problem to have, but there was a lot of thought and reflection.
“It was a tough decision. It was a week of reflecting and talking to people I know. It was talking to myself and saying, ‘Hey, what’s the best opportunity for me?'”
Ultimately, Lausch decided his future was with the Wildcats. He signed during a ceremony Wednesday morning at Brother Rice.
“It’s awesome,” Lausch said. “It’s a lot of years of working hard and dreaming about playing big-time football. I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped me in the past. I can’t wait for the future in Evanston. Go ‘Cats.”
Lausch had a monster senior season for the Crusaders. He completed 164 of 269 passes for 2,447 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ran 142 times for 1,084 yards and 21 TDs.
The scholarship offers did not come, however.
Lausch was content with his plan of heading to Notre Dame. He was confident he could earn a scholarship there eventually.
Still, he longed for the validation that comes with a scholarship offer from a big-time program.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, a Sandburg graduate, finally provided that option earlier this month.
“My teammates and I worked really hard and this is something I’ve wanted for a really long time,” Lausch said. “So, to get one (scholarship offer), it was awesome.
“The recruiting process was tough. With COVID and all the other circumstances we faced, we were a little behind. I just had faith something was coming up and something did.”
Brother Rice coach Brian Badke has long questioned why Lausch did not get more offers. In the end, though, Badke feels Lausch has landed in the right spot.
“I think it was a great opportunity with Northwestern coming in with a full scholarship and giving him an opportunity to be in that quarterback room with a purpose,” Badke said. “Things happen for a reason.
“I’m excited for him. I think he and ‘Fitz’ are going to have a great run there at Northwestern.”
Badke is confident Lausch can be successful at the next level.
“Jack Lausch just needs to be Jack Lausch,” Badke said. “He’s a great leader. He makes everyone around him better. No one’s going to outwork him and people gravitate to that. He’s got all the intangibles.
“There are things he’s going to work on. You could see a huge improvement from the spring to now with throwing the football. He’s a dual threat and he’s a perfect fit for what they want to do at Northwestern.”
Lausch said he talked with Northwestern’s coaches about potentially playing baseball there as well, but he’s uncertain how that will turn out or whether he wants to continue with that sport.
For now, he’s just excited to step onto the football field with the Wildcats.
“Ever since I could walk, ever since I could put on a little football helmet and play catch in the backyard, I’ve wanted to play big-time college football,” he said. “Now that this is over, I can settle down and get ready to go to Evanston.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.