Positives I take from those that have expressed interest in NIU are:

1) 6 of them are D lineman which is usually the toughest position to find quality talent for a non AQ program

2) 8 are O lineman which will be an area of need with the number graduating at the end of the 11/12 season.

Coach DD and the staff do well in these areas and NIU will be winning MAC West titles

Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel junior defensive tackle prospect Vontrell Williams (6-foot-2, 263 pounds) was able to make a Saturday unofficial visit to one in-state (NIU) program for the first time. Williams was also able to walk away with his first scholarship offer in hand before he left campus on Saturday. Williams talks about landing his first offer along with his impressions from his Saturday unofficial visit in this recruiting update.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/chicagosports/fo...ams-121621

In addition to Vontrell Williams, we have 5 other offers out as per rivals. Andrus Peat OL Ariz., Vince Biegel LB Wisc., Zeke Pete QB Ken., Ty Darlington OL Fla., Duron Neal WR Mo. Illinios has 57 offers out already!

Interesting article about how Texas has seen their talent slip in part because they're in the habit of signing virtually their entire recruiting class before they play their senior season:

http://www.statesman.com/sports/longhorn...50376.html

(02-14-2011 12:15 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  Positives I take from those that have expressed interest in NIU are:

1) 6 of them are D lineman which is usually the toughest position to find quality talent for a non AQ program

2) 8 are O lineman which will be an area of need with the number graduating at the end of the 11/12 season.

Coach DD and the staff do well in these areas and NIU will be winning MAC West titles

Online..they better be on campus now or we will be in BIG trouble. We better have hit on last years (2010) class. I have heard some good reports. I did notice Doeren is recruiting BIGGER Olineman than Kill did.

(02-14-2011 04:02 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Interesting article about how Texas has seen their talent slip in part because they're in the habit of signing virtually their entire recruiting class before they play their senior season:

http://www.statesman.com/sports/longhorn...50376.html

I don't think it says anywhere in that article about specifically seeing a dropoff in recruiting because of junior commitments.

Texas can get anybody they want in Texas. Heck, they could drop all the scholarships from the kids they had committed from their junior year and offer schollies to 25 other players if they chose to. I'm using hyperbole, but this has more to do with getting the right players to fit the "system" that Texas has and developing that talent.

Now Greg Davis had some sort of "system", but it only worked when Vince Young was at the helm. They had no OL that could run block whatsoever the past couple years. Obviously, things blew up in Mack Brown's face and he's had to change a ton of things around.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that recruiting a player when he's a junior or a senior is almost irrelevant, since a stud player is going to be a stud player no matter what. Texas failed at basic talent evaluation as a whole. Just look all around college football, most kids in Illinois commit early to programs and that's why Doeren couldn't land too many players in the land of lincoln.

Oh and the fact that Greg Davis can be blamed for the majority of what went wrong at UT last year. They've got Boise's OC and a stud RB coming in. We'll see.

Sorry for the rant, I just listen to this stuff every day down here.

Talking to one of the new coaches Saturday at the HASF thing, just trying to make small talk I said, "So, the new recruits seem pretty good considering the short time frame." He kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, considering the short turnaround we did alright. I'll tell you one thing: that'll be the weakest class we ever bring in here. Guys we lost out on this year, we'll get next year for sure."

I was very impressed with the professionalism of the staff. I got to talk to several guys extensively, and they're quality guys.

(02-15-2011 09:08 AM)cawoo22 Wrote:  Talking to one of the new coaches Saturday at the HASF thing, just trying to make small talk I said, "So, the new recruits seem pretty good considering the short time frame." He kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, considering the short turnaround we did alright. I'll tell you one thing: that'll be the weakest class we ever bring in here. Guys we lost out on this year, we'll get next year for sure."

I was very impressed with the professionalism of the staff. I got to talk to several guys extensively, and they're quality guys.

I think this class will produce several productive players for us, but it is good to hear that they are striving for even better.

(02-15-2011 12:27 AM)rabidawg900 Wrote:  I don't think it says anywhere in that article about specifically seeing a dropoff in recruiting because of junior commitments.

Texas can get anybody they want in Texas. Heck, they could drop all the scholarships from the kids they had committed from their junior year and offer schollies to 25 other players if they chose to. I'm using hyperbole, but this has more to do with getting the right players to fit the "system" that Texas has and developing that talent.

Now Greg Davis had some sort of "system", but it only worked when Vince Young was at the helm. They had no OL that could run block whatsoever the past couple years. Obviously, things blew up in Mack Brown's face and he's had to change a ton of things around.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that recruiting a player when he's a junior or a senior is almost irrelevant, since a stud player is going to be a stud player no matter what. Texas failed at basic talent evaluation as a whole. Just look all around college football, most kids in Illinois commit early to programs and that's why Doeren couldn't land too many players in the land of lincoln.

Oh and the fact that Greg Davis can be blamed for the majority of what went wrong at UT last year. They've got Boise's OC and a stud RB coming in. We'll see.

Sorry for the rant, I just listen to this stuff every day down here.

The article did throw around a lot of possible reasons for Texas' season.

But as part of the point about Texas' failure from a recruit eval standpoint was this:

Quote:More than one close observer pins the Longhorns' decline to poor evaluation in recruiting and the pattern that Texas has fallen into of extending scholarship offers before players' senior seasons, thus severely limiting the amount of data to evaluate.

The possible takeaway from an NIU/nAQ perspective is to remember that we depend a lot on the diamond in the rough types. We aren't looking at guys at the talent level of Texas, NIU has to rely that much more on being right on projecting guys and reading makeup. The more film, scouting opportunities, and info about a player's workout/practice/school habits, the better the quality of decisions. Basically, be smart about offering.

I have heard we have offered David Smith RB 6'1" 190 lbs. From Bremen HS in Ill.

(02-15-2011 01:55 PM)thetachihuskie Wrote:  I have heard we have offered David Smith RB 6'1" 190 lbs. From Brennan HS in Ill.

Here's some vertigo-inducing video of Smith. He looks like a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQMjjir6r4

Hopefully, the staff will offer many players but not waste a lot of time until the BCS schools give their scholarships out and decide who the really want. Next we can go after the players we like and who are less recruited. Not going to win many battles against BCS this early in recruiting.

(02-15-2011 02:03 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Here's some vertigo-inducing video of Smith. He looks like a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQMjjir6r4

There are some that think he's the best RB in the state, better than Malin Jones who is committed to Northwestern.

(02-14-2011 06:58 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  

(02-14-2011 12:15 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  Positives I take from those that have expressed interest in NIU are:

1) 6 of them are D lineman which is usually the toughest position to find quality talent for a non AQ program

2) 8 are O lineman which will be an area of need with the number graduating at the end of the 11/12 season.

Coach DD and the staff do well in these areas and NIU will be winning MAC West titles

Online..they better be on campus now or we will be in BIG trouble. We better have hit on last years (2010) class. I have heard some good reports. I did notice Doeren is recruiting BIGGER Olineman than Kill did.

Don't know yet what the depth of quality O & D lineman will be for the 2012 class but comparing the Rivals top 250 between 11 and 12; there were 6 O & D lineman from states NIU traditionally recruits (IL, IN, KS, MO, MN, WI) last year vs 9 this year. If we could project a 50% increase in the number of 3 & 4* lineman for 2012 the coaching staff's job would be a great deal easier.

One more article on the Texas thing: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/bl...aaf-322447

(02-15-2011 02:03 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  

(02-15-2011 01:55 PM)thetachihuskie Wrote:  I have heard we have offered David Smith RB 6'1" 190 lbs. From Brennan HS in Ill.

Here's some vertigo-inducing video of Smith. He looks like a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQMjjir6r4

If Womble is as good as advertised Smith could be sitting for a couple years.

(02-17-2011 06:33 PM)onlinepole Wrote:  

(02-15-2011 02:03 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  

(02-15-2011 01:55 PM)thetachihuskie Wrote:  I have heard we have offered David Smith RB 6'1" 190 lbs. From Brennan HS in Ill.

Here's some vertigo-inducing video of Smith. He looks like a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQMjjir6r4

If Womble is as good as advertised Smith could be sitting for a couple years.

Womble has only 2 years left, by the time he would get here he would only sit for 1. We need to start grooming a rb in the system next year anyway.

St. Louis WR Durron Neal picks up an offer to play at Alabama. That's pretty damn impressive: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-scho...78c22.html

http://www.freep.com/article/20110221/SP...class-2012

Quote:Detroit Renaissance defensive tackle Jabari Dean

Dean picked up an offer from CMU recently. He also has offers from Western Michigan, Northern Illinois and Toledo. At 6-2 and 290 pounds, Dean is a physical defensive tackle prospect who has been among the most impressive at his position in the state.

(02-21-2011 11:16 AM)rabidawg900 Wrote:  http://www.freep.com/article/20110221/SP...class-2012

Quote:Detroit Renaissance defensive tackle Jabari Dean

Dean picked up an offer from CMU recently. He also has offers from Western Michigan, Northern Illinois and Toledo. At 6-2 and 290 pounds, Dean is a physical defensive tackle prospect who has been among the most impressive at his position in the state.

These are the recruiting battles I love to watch. Get 5 or 6 quality MAC programs going after a player. He might not be any good in the end but it is fun to see who wins out.