Northwestern haunted by losing on signing day

It’s easy for Northwestern to say it considers back-to-back 5-7 seasons to be in the past. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it seems the last two seasons have dogged their program.

NU saw four players decommit from its recruiting class leading up to National Signing Day on Wednesday. The Dowell twins — Andrew, a running back, and David, a receiver — decommitted during the summer, and defensive end Zach Allen and receiver Grant Perry decommitted in the last week. It seems the Wildcats have become a last resort for some players.

In the euphoria of NU’s Gator Bowl victory against Mississippi State on New Year’s Day 2013, the program appeared to be on its way to becoming a destination for recruits. There were promises of Big Ten championships and upgraded facilities. On Wednesday, though, the Wildcats signed a recruiting class ranked in the bottom half of the conference.

‘‘You have to recruit all the way to signing day,’’ NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. ‘‘There’s no doubt about that.’’

But there is a critical aspect of recruiting the coaches can’t control. For years now, the university has promised Fitzgerald it will

upgrade the outdated football facil-

ities that hinder recruiting. Athletic officials, including Fitzgerald,

remain optimistic about the project, but right now it is limited to renderings in the athletic offices. Ground hasn’t been broken.

And while university officials remain silent on the project, the buzz that surrounded the football program not long ago has quieted to a whisper.