Good read:


The setting was a national all-star game sponsored by a big shoe company, with even the practices televised on ESPNU.

Recruiting, quite naturally, dominated conversations among 100 high school football players headed to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and the rest.


“When they get to me and they ask, ‘Who are you committed to? NIU?’” Justin Hall said, “one of the kids said, ‘Who are they?’

“I couldn’t believe it. There was a lot of joking around, but it left something with me, like, ‘This is how they are looking at it.’”


Six straight MAC West titles earlier this decade and a stunning 2013 Orange Bowl berth have not transformed Northern Illinois into a high-profile program nationally, but the Huskies are as hot as ever locally.

Hall, a defensive back from Homewood-Flossmoor, is among the centerpieces of what could be the best group of in-state players NIU has ever landed.


All 24 members of the class signed during the early signing period, 14 from Illinois, including the top six according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings: Waubonsie Valley tight end/wide receiver Charles Robinson, Peoria offensive tackle Marques Cox, Hall, De La Salle linebacker Joe Bonds, Andrew tight end Mike DeHaan and Oswego East defensive back Antwain Walker.

“Best in-state class they’ve ever had,” said veteran recruiting analyst Tim O’Halloran of Edgytim.com and Rivals.com. “High-caliber athletes. They changed their philosophy. They used to wait before extending offers. They had offers out to a lot of (juniors) first on signing day last year, which they had never done before.”


The reason for the shift, according to NIU coach Rod Carey, was twofold. The new early signing period altered the recruiting calendar, and the end of the Huskies’ streak of eight straight bowl appearances in 2016 meant more time to recruit.

“Part of the reason we moved slow for so many years was simply the time factor,” Carey said. “Playing in the MAC championship, then playing a bowl game, your first job is the team, and we were fortunate we maintained that for a lot of years.

“After last season, my point was, we are going to use this time. That is the No. 1 reason we got out ahead. We know these kids, we offer them and we thought we could really get our hooks into Illinois, and we did.”

Starting early proved beneficial in the recruitment of Hall, who was thinking more along the lines of Illinois than Northern Illinois when the Huskies’ courtship began.

“My 7-on-7 coach kept telling me, ‘These NIU coaches really like you, they want you to visit,’” Hall said. “I was one of those kids mad U. of I. didn't offer, and I’m thinking, ‘NIU, I don’t know.’ After he told me so many times, I said, ‘Let me see what they’re about.’

“I went down there and realized I knew more people there than U. of I. I really liked it there. Then the second time I visited was better, the third was better, the fourth was better. One of these times, I’m not going to leave.”

This is great. Let's give credit where credit is due. Kudos to Carey and the other coaches involved with recruiting. Let's hope these kids work out.

(02-07-2018 07:18 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  Good read:


The setting was a national all-star game sponsored by a big shoe company, with even the practices televised on ESPNU.

Recruiting, quite naturally, dominated conversations among 100 high school football players headed to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and the rest.


“When they get to me and they ask, ‘Who are you committed to? NIU?’” Justin Hall said, “one of the kids said, ‘Who are they?’

“I couldn’t believe it. There was a lot of joking around, but it left something with me, like, ‘This is how they are looking at it.’”


Six straight MAC West titles earlier this decade and a stunning 2013 Orange Bowl berth have not transformed Northern Illinois into a high-profile program nationally, but the Huskies are as hot as ever locally.

Hall, a defensive back from Homewood-Flossmoor, is among the centerpieces of what could be the best group of in-state players NIU has ever landed.


All 24 members of the class signed during the early signing period, 14 from Illinois, including the top six according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings: Waubonsie Valley tight end/wide receiver Charles Robinson, Peoria offensive tackle Marques Cox, Hall, De La Salle linebacker Joe Bonds, Andrew tight end Mike DeHaan and Oswego East defensive back Antwain Walker.

“Best in-state class they’ve ever had,” said veteran recruiting analyst Tim O’Halloran of Edgytim.com and Rivals.com. “High-caliber athletes. They changed their philosophy. They used to wait before extending offers. They had offers out to a lot of (juniors) first on signing day last year, which they had never done before.”


The reason for the shift, according to NIU coach Rod Carey, was twofold. The new early signing period altered the recruiting calendar, and the end of the Huskies’ streak of eight straight bowl appearances in 2016 meant more time to recruit.

“Part of the reason we moved slow for so many years was simply the time factor,” Carey said. “Playing in the MAC championship, then playing a bowl game, your first job is the team, and we were fortunate we maintained that for a lot of years.

“After last season, my point was, we are going to use this time. That is the No. 1 reason we got out ahead. We know these kids, we offer them and we thought we could really get our hooks into Illinois, and we did.”

Starting early proved beneficial in the recruitment of Hall, who was thinking more along the lines of Illinois than Northern Illinois when the Huskies’ courtship began.

“My 7-on-7 coach kept telling me, ‘These NIU coaches really like you, they want you to visit,’” Hall said. “I was one of those kids mad U. of I. didn't offer, and I’m thinking, ‘NIU, I don’t know.’ After he told me so many times, I said, ‘Let me see what they’re about.’

“I went down there and realized I knew more people there than U. of I. I really liked it there. Then the second time I visited was better, the third was better, the fourth was better. One of these times, I’m not going to leave.”

Anyone know the extent of his injury? I heard he was having surgery

(02-07-2018 07:18 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  Good read:


The setting was a national all-star game sponsored by a big shoe company, with even the practices televised on ESPNU.

[/b]Recruiting, quite naturally, dominated conversations among 100 high school football players headed to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and the rest.


“When they get to me and they ask, ‘Who are you committed to? NIU?’” Justin Hall said, “one of the kids said, ‘Who are they?’

“I couldn’t believe it. There was a lot of joking around, but it left something with me, like, ‘This is how they are looking at it.’”[/b]


Six straight MAC West titles earlier this decade and a stunning 2013 Orange Bowl berth have not transformed Northern Illinois into a high-profile program nationally, but the Huskies are as hot as ever locally.

Hall, a defensive back from Homewood-Flossmoor, is among the centerpieces of what could be the best group of in-state players NIU has ever landed.


All 24 members of the class signed during the early signing period, 14 from Illinois, including the top six according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings: Waubonsie Valley tight end/wide receiver Charles Robinson, Peoria offensive tackle Marques Cox, Hall, De La Salle linebacker Joe Bonds, Andrew tight end Mike DeHaan and Oswego East defensive back Antwain Walker.

“Best in-state class they’ve ever had,” said veteran recruiting analyst Tim O’Halloran of Edgytim.com and Rivals.com. “High-caliber athletes. They changed their philosophy. They used to wait before extending offers. They had offers out to a lot of (juniors) first on signing day last year, which they had never done before.”


The reason for the shift, according to NIU coach Rod Carey, was twofold. The new early signing period altered the recruiting calendar, and the end of the Huskies’ streak of eight straight bowl appearances in 2016 meant more time to recruit.

“Part of the reason we moved slow for so many years was simply the time factor,” Carey said. “Playing in the MAC championship, then playing a bowl game, your first job is the team, and we were fortunate we maintained that for a lot of years.

“After last season, my point was, we are going to use this time. That is the No. 1 reason we got out ahead. We know these kids, we offer them and we thought we could really get our hooks into Illinois, and we did.”

Starting early proved beneficial in the recruitment of Hall, who was thinking more along the lines of Illinois than Northern Illinois when the Huskies’ courtship began.

“My 7-on-7 coach kept telling me, ‘These NIU coaches really like you, they want you to visit,’” Hall said. “I was one of those kids mad U. of I. didn't offer, and I’m thinking, ‘NIU, I don’t know.’ After he told me so many times, I said, ‘Let me see what they’re about.’

“I went down there and realized I knew more people there than U. of I. I really liked it there. Then the second time I visited was better, the third was better, the fourth was better. One of these times, I’m not going to leave.”

Justin should have said ..."NIU is the team that is 1-0 vs Alabama ...Beeyotch!!"

It is nice to have an article that depicts positive direction for NIU. Great stuff and is exciting. Go Huskies!

Can't wait for September.
Make that August.

(02-07-2018 09:38 PM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  It is nice to have an article that depicts positive direction for NIU. Great stuff and is exciting. Go Huskies!

There must be some mistake, according to many posters the Tribune is anti-NIU. Of course, those same folks don't put any value on anything appearing in the Trib, so don't get too excited.

(02-07-2018 09:38 PM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote:  It is nice to have an article that depicts positive direction for NIU. Great stuff and is exciting. Go Huskies!

I agree. We’ve been needing the positive press.

Never thought about it being easier to recruit when not in a bowl game. So you get extra practices for the bowl game, but less time to recruit. Might be a wash, or worse.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/col...story.html

Here's the actual link I think. Should give it some clicks folks.