Centennial physical lineman signs with Northwestern
This is the 18th in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 295) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 3/4/22
Dylan Roberts followed up his junior season with a repeat spot on the First Team All-6A Desert Valley Region team.
The 6-3, 295-pound defensive tackle at Centennial had 5.5 sacks for the Coyotes last season. He's nasty in the trenches and was a three-year varsity starter.
Northwestern University began recruiting Roberts in his junior year, shortly after a football season where he had 50 tackles and four sacks. The Wildcats offered him in March. Roberts also had offers from four Pac-12 schools. He went on a visit to the NU campus (just north of Chicago) last May and committed shortly after. He signed with the Wildcats in the early period in December.
"Northwestern stood out to me because of the academics, along with being able to compete in the Big Ten," Roberts said in an e-mail interview. "Chicago is also an amazing city."
Roberts committed within days of two other Arizona players that were on the same recruiting trip. Mountain Ridge offensive tackle Alex Doost and Saguaro cornerback Cole Shivers also signed with NU.
The Big Ten has a reputation of playing physical, hard-nosed football with critical games being held in November in cold climates. Roberts made the All-6A Conference Second Team on the D-Line and feels his size and abilities translate well to the conference.
"The Big Ten is a super-physical conference and stopping the run is essential," Roberts said. "I believe that my size and strength will absolutely help Northwestern's front."
Aside from football, Roberts was on the track & field team for three years throwing the shot put and discus. He will be graduating from Centennial this May and then go to Northwestern the following month to prepare for training camp with the Wildcats.
Roberts is also a beast in the weight room. It shows on his film how strong he is. Roberts benched 450 pounds before the season in August. That was a little bit more than what he accomplished the previous year during the team's Max Week.
After a 3-8 season in 2021 (Centennial's first losing record since 1999), the returning players were out to prove that the previous year was an aberration and not the start of a downward trend. The Coyotes accomplished that by reeling off seven straight wins during the season and making the Open Division for the third time in four years. Centennial flipped that record around to 8-3 in the team's 31st season under head coach Richard Taylor.
"I am happy to have been a part of our redemption season and to have made Coach Taylor proud," Roberts said. "The Open has always been a goal every year and I am grateful to have made it this year. I really appreciate the team and the guys I had around me last year."
Northwestern has four players representing the school in Indianapolis for this week's NFL Combine. One of those is defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore. The 6-2, 280-pounder ran an unofficial 4.54 in the 40 on Thursday. He is projected to be drafted in Day 2 (second & third rounds) of the NFL Draft next month. Northwestern struggled to a 1-11 record last season. The Wildcats will begin the '23 schedule on Sept. 2 in New Jersey at Rutgers in a Big Ten Conference game.
