Signed, sealed ...
By Adam Rittenberg Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, January 31, 2005
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption align=right>Associated Press</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In a communication age charged by BlackBerrys and text messages, the practice of letter writing is widely considered passé.
But during the college football recruiting rush, the letter carries supreme value and anticipation, its contents determining a program's future.
The wait ends Wednesday - national signing day - when mailbags are unloaded and 117 Division I-A coaches reveal a stack of national letters of intent, signed and sealed by their newest recruits.
Coaching shake-ups at 22 schools again weighed heavily on the recruiting season. Illinois and Notre Dame were among the programs dealing with change, while longer-tenured staffs at Iowa, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Michigan enjoyed tremendous success.
"In recruiting, it's not over until that last piece of paper comes across," new Illinois coach Ron Zook said. "You can't relax."
Here is an early look at how the local teams fared in recruiting. (Note: coaches were prohibited from discussing specific recruits until signing day, but they could comment generally about the process.)
Illinois
Each year, college coaches go through the actual football season, followed by the recruiting season from late November until signing day. Zook's track record in the second season proved to be the deciding factor in his hiring.
So how did Zook fare in his first go-round at Illinois? The true answer might not be known until next February.
"They did listen and gave us an opportunity to talk," Zook said of the top local players. "It's hard to make up a year just in terms of overall relationships. You're selling something they can't see ... so it comes down to people and relationships.
"That's what takes time to build."
Zook had a wobbly start, as two of his top recruiting assistants (Larry Fedora and Joe Wickline) "de-committed" from Illinois to take jobs at Oklahoma State. Zook eventually added staff and began to focus on solidifying the verbal commitments Illinois already had.
The Illini class features an unusual number of players from Zook's previous recruiting base of Florida and Georgia. Players in the north, Zook explained, tend to commit earlier than their southern counterparts.
"They're working the Southeast probably as heavy as they would have if they were still at Florida," said Tim O'Halloran, a Midwest recruiting expert for Rivals.com. "Right now, their class is definitely incomplete. But this guy (Zook) is going to get after it. He hit a lot of local schools, talked to a lot of coaches. That's how you do it."
Former Niles West running back Rashard Mendenhall headlines a small group of Illini recruits who received national rankings. Mendenhall already is taking classes at Illinois and spoke with Zook on Friday.
"He's just a great kid and will have a great career here," Zook said. "They have to come in expecting to play. If they don't, then they have no chance."
Illinois beat out Iowa and several other programs for former Willowbrook High School linebacker Rahkeem Smith. Zook also kept Waubonsie Valley's Paul Blalock, who committed to former Illini coach Ron Turner in June.
Glenbrook South tight end Michael Nabolotny settled on Illinois after two of his other suitors (Indiana and Miami University) also had coaching changes.
Northwestern
A trace of bitterness lingers in Randy Walker's throat when he recalls the challenge of selling Northwestern to in-state recruits three years ago.
The Wildcats, pegged to win the Big Ten before the 2001 season, stumbled to a 4-7 finish. And news continued to flow regarding the death of safety Rashidi Wheeler, who had collapsed during an Aug. 3 conditioning drill.
"It was tough sledding here," Walker said. "We didn't sign anybody from Illinois because they picked up the paper every day and it was not positive. There were some things said and statements made that couldn't be further from the truth.
"Now we've found a way back into the city and we've hit on some very good players in the local areas."
Northwestern's incoming class of 20 is being heralded as the best in Walker's six-year tenure. It includes five Illinois players, most notably linebacker Chris Jeske from Joliet and quarterbacks Mike Kafka (Chicago) and Eric Peterman (Springfield).
Projected tackles Kurt Mattes and Corey Wooton top a group of six offensive linemen.
"They had a lot of needs, but it's definitely a complete class," O'Halloran said. "I like some of the Chicago-area kids. Jeske has the ability to wind up being a very good Big Ten player.
"Mattes has a big frame, good size on him. They'll grow him into a Big Ten lineman."
Walker filled his offensive backfield with running backs Tyrell Sutton and Omar Conteh, as well as dual-threat quarterback Andrew Brewer. Sutton rushed for more yards (9,438) than any player in Ohio high school football history.
Tom Lemming, the Schaumburg-based publisher of Prep Football Report, ranked Northwestern's class seventh in the Big Ten.
"I don't brag about recruiting classes," Walker said. "We'll know more in three years. But I know this is a class where we hit on a lot of the top-flight guys on our board."
Northern Illinois
The only variable in Northern Illinois' recruiting is reputation, which continues to rise.
Joe Novak is the longest-tenured coach (nine years) in a league (Mid-American Conference) that has witnessed eight coaching changes in the last two seasons. NIU has won 27 games since 2001, including a 9-3 run last year that culminated in its first bowl appearance since 1983.
Did the Huskies carry their momentum into recruiting?
"It's almost like clockwork for them," Lemming said. "They're the steadiest staff in the Midwest, always hitting Chicago hard and getting top-notch players.
"Their profile is a lot higher now than it was a year ago."
Novak said the bowl was "a deciding factor" for several players.
"I can't say we're on par with Michigan and Ohio State, but with some of the other (Big Ten) schools I think we are," he said. "We're close to home; we've been winning. Kids have a choice. They can come here right now as we're having success. Or they can go to a Big Ten school and maybe not have that success."
Novak steered his Midwest-based recruiting toward defense, particularly the secondary, which loses two starters to graduation. Melvin Rice, a speedy cornerback from Chicago, tops NIU's list of defensive backs.
"They're in need of corners, and (Rice) has a shot of getting early playing time," O'Halloran said. "(NIU's) no longer a fallback for kids. They project on kids that might be an inch or two shorter than the Big Ten kids, or maybe 20-30 pounds lighter."
Novak didn't neglect his offense, taking local linemen Jake Wertz (Stevenson) and Eddie Adamski (Carmel). NIU's best athlete could be Justin Anderson, an option quarterback from Chicago who will play running back.
"Offensive line was critical," Novak said, "and we got five commits at that spot."
Notre Dame
Formerly entrenched in football's upper crust, Notre Dame and Nebraska always used to draw comparisons. Tumbles from the top and unexpected coaching dismissals have again linked the two.
Nebraska assembled arguably the nation's top recruiting class in coach Bill Callahan's second year. Fighting Irish fans only hope Charlie Weis has similar success in 2006.
"Notre Dame will be in the same spot Nebraska is this year with recruiting," Lemming said, "if they do things right."
With Weis commuting between South Bend, Ind., and Foxboro, Mass., he relied on a coaching staff that includes three former recruiting coordinators. Ex-Wisconsin recruiting boss Rob Ianello led the effort.
"Notre Dame hasn't had a dynamic recruiter for the last couple staffs, so (Ianello's) definitely an upgrade," said Pete Sampson, who covers Irish recruiting for Blue and Gold Illustrated.
Despite the strong additions, the chaos following Tyrone Willingham's firing hurt recruiting.
Notre Dame lost verbal commitments from cornerback Brandon Harrison and wide receiver David Nelson. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson is expected to choose Ohio State over Notre Dame.
"It wouldn't be difficult to argue they were the three most talented guys," Sampson said.
Don't expect any Darius Walker-like saviors in this Notre Dame class, but tight end Joey Hiben and wide receiver D.J. Hord should help an inconsistent passing attack. Rivals.com ranked Hiben the nation's ninth-best tight end.
The Irish answered their primary need on the offensive line with tackles Michael Turkovich and Paul Duncan. Despite having the nation's 116th-ranked pass defense last season, Notre Dame didn't nab any cornerbacks - "a big bust," Sampson said.
"Everyone here would agree that one thing we need to do is upgrade the skill positions," Weis said on Jan. 7.
As of Sunday Notre Dame had only one verbal commit from the Chicago area, linebacker Scott Smith (Highland Park). The Irish heavily pursued local standouts Dan Doering and Dace Richardson, but they lost steam during the coaching change.
"Notre Dame doesn't have a home base for recruiting like Michigan or Texas," Sampson said, "but if there was one, it would be Chicago. Getting back to Chicago and re-recruiting it is going to be important.
"Next year's recruiting couldn't be any more critical for Notre Dame."
