01-28-2005, 09:00 AM
NIU's program keeps luring top prospects
January 28, 2005
BY TAYLOR BELL
How do you measure success in college football? Bowl games? National television exposure? Conference championships? National ranking?
Northern Illinois has experienced all of those perks in recent years. In fact, coach Joe Novak's program has become so successful that the Huskies are beginning to outrecruit some Big Ten schools for prospects.
Novak and his staff, led by recruiting coordinator Mike Sabock, expect to sign their fourth outstanding class in a row. They have 21 commitments, including a solid nucleus of 10 Chicago-area products and six players from Wisconsin and Minnesota who were wooed by assistant Sam Pittman.
NIU's priorities were athletes and defensive backs. There isn't a quarterback on the list. With Josh Haldi graduating, Novak figures to start sophomore Phil Horvath of Naperville Central and has three red-shirt freshmen from the Chicago area to back him up -- Zach Ulrich (Wheaton North), Britt Davis (Riverside-Brookfield) and Dan Nicholson (Brother Rice).
In past years, NIU made a recruiting mistake by focusing on Texas and Oklahoma.
Under Novak, who recruited the Chicago area as an assistant at Indiana, the Huskies have concentrated on the city and suburbs and have begun to dominate the Mid-American Conference with homegrown talent.
"Novak is an outstanding recruiter. He reminds of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, a very personable person who communicates well with young people,'' said recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of ESPN.com. "He has taken NIU to the top of the MAC and the program is getting more national recognition.''
Also credit athletic director Jim Phillips, who has football savvy. He was the last ingredient that the program needed to get to where NIU wants to be, a perennial bowl team, which is tough for any MAC school to accomplish.
This year's class is headed by versatile Justin Anderson of Steinmetz, center Eddie Adamski of Carmel, offensive linemen Jake Wertz of Stevenson and Tim Mayerbock of St. Patrick, defensive backs Josh Allen of North Chicago, Melvin Rice of Morgan Park, Jeff Fontana and Libertyville and Brad Pruitt of Hyde Park and defensive end Brandon Bice of Lyons.
Anderson, a superb athlete, played out of position at quarterback in high school. At NIU, the 6-2, 200-pounder will be a running back. Rice was the best cornerback in the Chicago area last fall. Adamski is a cousin of former Carmel star Jeff Zgonia, who played at Purdue and is in the NFL.
Mayerbock, a 6-5, 300-pounder, is super-strong. He bench-presses 415 pounds.
A sleeper could be 6-1, 234-pound defensive end Anthony Antonacci of Neuqua Valley, who is undersized for the position but was very productive last season.
The out-of-state group is headed by 6-5, 235-pound tight end Reed Cunningham of Pardeeville, Wis., and 6-5, 280-pound offensive lineman Ethan Gill of Sun Prairie, Wis.
Novak hopes to bolster his incoming class of offensive lineman by landing 6-5, 290-pound Otis Hudson of Barrington.
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
January 28, 2005
BY TAYLOR BELL
How do you measure success in college football? Bowl games? National television exposure? Conference championships? National ranking?
Northern Illinois has experienced all of those perks in recent years. In fact, coach Joe Novak's program has become so successful that the Huskies are beginning to outrecruit some Big Ten schools for prospects.
Novak and his staff, led by recruiting coordinator Mike Sabock, expect to sign their fourth outstanding class in a row. They have 21 commitments, including a solid nucleus of 10 Chicago-area products and six players from Wisconsin and Minnesota who were wooed by assistant Sam Pittman.
NIU's priorities were athletes and defensive backs. There isn't a quarterback on the list. With Josh Haldi graduating, Novak figures to start sophomore Phil Horvath of Naperville Central and has three red-shirt freshmen from the Chicago area to back him up -- Zach Ulrich (Wheaton North), Britt Davis (Riverside-Brookfield) and Dan Nicholson (Brother Rice).
In past years, NIU made a recruiting mistake by focusing on Texas and Oklahoma.
Under Novak, who recruited the Chicago area as an assistant at Indiana, the Huskies have concentrated on the city and suburbs and have begun to dominate the Mid-American Conference with homegrown talent.
"Novak is an outstanding recruiter. He reminds of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, a very personable person who communicates well with young people,'' said recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of ESPN.com. "He has taken NIU to the top of the MAC and the program is getting more national recognition.''
Also credit athletic director Jim Phillips, who has football savvy. He was the last ingredient that the program needed to get to where NIU wants to be, a perennial bowl team, which is tough for any MAC school to accomplish.
This year's class is headed by versatile Justin Anderson of Steinmetz, center Eddie Adamski of Carmel, offensive linemen Jake Wertz of Stevenson and Tim Mayerbock of St. Patrick, defensive backs Josh Allen of North Chicago, Melvin Rice of Morgan Park, Jeff Fontana and Libertyville and Brad Pruitt of Hyde Park and defensive end Brandon Bice of Lyons.
Anderson, a superb athlete, played out of position at quarterback in high school. At NIU, the 6-2, 200-pounder will be a running back. Rice was the best cornerback in the Chicago area last fall. Adamski is a cousin of former Carmel star Jeff Zgonia, who played at Purdue and is in the NFL.
Mayerbock, a 6-5, 300-pounder, is super-strong. He bench-presses 415 pounds.
A sleeper could be 6-1, 234-pound defensive end Anthony Antonacci of Neuqua Valley, who is undersized for the position but was very productive last season.
The out-of-state group is headed by 6-5, 235-pound tight end Reed Cunningham of Pardeeville, Wis., and 6-5, 280-pound offensive lineman Ethan Gill of Sun Prairie, Wis.
Novak hopes to bolster his incoming class of offensive lineman by landing 6-5, 290-pound Otis Hudson of Barrington.
Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
