(01-22-2012 09:58 PM)Mikerochip Wrote:  Devin Church has dumped NIU for the Illness.

My hatred for The Cheating Illini just went up a notch.

(01-21-2012 10:45 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  This guy FINISHES his blocks! Have to wonder a little bit about the level of competition in North Dakota, but he looks like a keeper.

Scout rates him the top HS prospect in ND. Yep it's a small state but except for the local FCS teams, not much competition for recruits.

You add ND & SD to MN, KS, IA, MO, WI, MI, IN, TX & FL and NIU's recruiting footprint is the largest in the MAC.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiti...tprtBGPZB4

averaged 7 ypc and 20 Td's in 2011, #24 in Michigan per Rivals also has a 3.6 gpa. Averaged over 7 ypc and had 12 td's in 2010. Has 5 MAC offers but no other MAC program emphasizes running the ball like NIU.

Here is the official announcement: http://www.illinihq.com/blogs/recruiting...h-mix.html

Talk to Osei, would you rather be the #2 back in your own class or would you rather go where you are #1 and can actually play?

According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I'm really not that upset at losing Church. I wasn't sold on the kid. It takes a lot to play Div I with his size (lack of). (5'9", 175 lbs, and 4.63 40 time) I'm not sure he has it.

For all we know, Doeren may have been luke warm on him.

I think Womble and Settle and Daniels will be fine. Is the kid from Downers South still out there? (Josh Williams)
I am more concerned about linebackers and safeties. [EDIT: I looked at last year's class and this year's verbal's, and I'm not concerned about lb's and safeties anymore. It looks like we have guys in the pipeline.]

(01-23-2012 09:31 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I sure hope DD is keeping pace with this behind the scenes.

(01-23-2012 09:52 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:31 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I sure hope DD is keeping pace with this behind the scenes.

Lets not get caught up in the *'s. Toledo has brought in the higher ranked guys for years and we seem to be doing just fine.

One positive of not getting the high * guys is that bigger programs will think a little less of Doeren when they are looking for a new HC. We just have to hope...awe crap.

(01-23-2012 09:59 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:52 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:31 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I sure hope DD is keeping pace with this behind the scenes.

Lets not get caught up in the *'s. Toledo has brought in the higher ranked guys for years and we seem to be doing just fine.

One positive of not getting the high * guys is that bigger programs will think a little less of Doeren when they are looking for a new HC. We just have to hope...awe crap.

Not sure that is the correct way to view things...just remember that the 2008 recruting class at Alabama with all the ***'s won 2 national championships...players with more **'s are a good starting point...

(01-23-2012 10:11 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:59 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:52 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:31 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I sure hope DD is keeping pace with this behind the scenes.

Lets not get caught up in the *'s. Toledo has brought in the higher ranked guys for years and we seem to be doing just fine.

One positive of not getting the high * guys is that bigger programs will think a little less of Doeren when they are looking for a new HC. We just have to hope...awe crap.

Not sure that is the correct way to view things...just remember that the 2008 recruting class at Alabama with all the ***'s won 2 national championships...players with more **'s are a good starting point...

Ya I know but if this recruiting class goes from first to near last (just by * rankings) in the final 3 weeks then I know a few people are going to have a problem with Doeren.

(01-23-2012 10:14 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 10:11 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:59 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:52 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 09:31 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  According to Scouts it looks like Toledo has picked up two 3* and one 4* over the past week...


http://recruiting.scout.com/latestcommits/

I sure hope DD is keeping pace with this behind the scenes.

Lets not get caught up in the *'s. Toledo has brought in the higher ranked guys for years and we seem to be doing just fine.

One positive of not getting the high * guys is that bigger programs will think a little less of Doeren when they are looking for a new HC. We just have to hope...awe crap.

Not sure that is the correct way to view things...just remember that the 2008 recruting class at Alabama with all the ***'s won 2 national championships...players with more **'s are a good starting point...

Ya I know but if this recruiting class goes from first to near last (just by * rankings) in the final 3 weeks then I know a few people are going to have a problem with Doeren.

I guess i don't understand why Toledo can go out and get 3 and 4 * guys any NIU cant...last time I checked Toledo wasn't the most attractive place in the world to visit...

(01-23-2012 10:27 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  I guess i don't understand why Toledo can go out and get 3 and 4 * guys any NIU cant...last time I checked Toledo wasn't the most attractive place in the world to visit...

I agree its disappointing.

One glaring difference from us and Toledo is scheduling. From an incoming freshman's perspective where they are likely going to be able to play 2013-2016...

NIU has @ Iowa, @ Purdue, @ Idaho, @Wake Forest, vs Idaho & @ OSU. So really there are two games @ Iowa in 13 and @ OSU in 15 that kids may peak the kids interest if they are from outside of the Midwest.

Then a kid sees Toledo's schedule after this year... @ Florida, @ Missouri, vs Navy, vs Missouri, @ Cincinnati, @ Iowa St, vs Miami (FL), vs Iowa St, @ Navy, @ Miami (FL). Any kid east of the great plains would love the opportunity this schedule presents.

A kid with ambitions of playing in the NFL is going to look at these two OOC schedules and pick Toledo every time. There is going to be more exposure from their schedule along with the opportunity to play big teams at home.

(01-23-2012 10:47 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 10:27 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  I guess i don't understand why Toledo can go out and get 3 and 4 * guys any NIU cant...last time I checked Toledo wasn't the most attractive place in the world to visit...

I agree its disappointing.

One glaring difference from us and Toledo is scheduling. From an incoming freshman's perspective where they are likely going to be able to play 2013-2016...

NIU has @ Iowa, @ Purdue, @ Idaho, @Wake Forest, vs Idaho & @ OSU. So really there are two games @ Iowa in 13 and @ OSU in 15 that kids may peak the kids interest if they are from outside of the Midwest.

Then a kid sees Toledo's schedule after this year... @ Florida, @ Missouri, vs Navy, vs Missouri, @ Cincinnati, @ Iowa St, vs Miami (FL), vs Iowa St, @ Navy, @ Miami (FL). Any kid east of the great plains would love the opportunity this schedule presents.

A kid with ambitions of playing in the NFL is going to look at these two OOC schedules and pick Toledo every time. There is going to be more exposure from their schedule along with the opportunity to play big teams at home.

I agree...time for NIU to improve its scheduling outside of the midwest...

(01-23-2012 10:58 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 10:47 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(01-23-2012 10:27 AM)JCCNIU31 Wrote:  I guess i don't understand why Toledo can go out and get 3 and 4 * guys any NIU cant...last time I checked Toledo wasn't the most attractive place in the world to visit...

I agree its disappointing.

One glaring difference from us and Toledo is scheduling. From an incoming freshman's perspective where they are likely going to be able to play 2013-2016...

NIU has @ Iowa, @ Purdue, @ Idaho, @Wake Forest, vs Idaho & @ OSU. So really there are two games @ Iowa in 13 and @ OSU in 15 that kids may peak the kids interest if they are from outside of the Midwest.

Then a kid sees Toledo's schedule after this year... @ Florida, @ Missouri, vs Navy, vs Missouri, @ Cincinnati, @ Iowa St, vs Miami (FL), vs Iowa St, @ Navy, @ Miami (FL). Any kid east of the great plains would love the opportunity this schedule presents.

A kid with ambitions of playing in the NFL is going to look at these two OOC schedules and pick Toledo every time. There is going to be more exposure from their schedule along with the opportunity to play big teams at home.

I agree...time for NIU to improve its scheduling outside of the midwest...

+1
Teams closer to us would rather not play us. Iowa is the only one that is ok with the frequency because they are cocky...and they keep on beating us...we will see about that. This year or next we will beat them.

We NEED to play FBS Florida schools every other year at a minimum. The Southern kids like to have the opportunity to play a game close to home.

I totally expect DD will pick up another 3* RB to replace the loss of Church. This is something a good recruiter has already planned for and has an adequate if not a better replacement in the pipeline.

(01-23-2012 03:50 AM)onlinepole Wrote:  http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiti...tprtBGPZB4

averaged 7 ypc and 20 Td's in 2011, #24 in Michigan per Rivals also has a 3.6 gpa. Averaged over 7 ypc and had 12 td's in 2010. Has 5 MAC offers but no other MAC program emphasizes running the ball like NIU.

Also shows he just committed to EMU.

(01-23-2012 11:35 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  I totally expect DD will pick up another 3* RB to replace the loss of Church. This is something a good recruiter has already planned for and has an adequate if not a better replacement in the pipeline.

and the good thing is this didn't happen on signing day so there is time to recover.

A lot more verbals are happening now. SIU and 1AA are starting to fill their rosters. Trickle down just starting to happen. We lose Church, we snag someone from SIU, WIU EMU etc. Got two weeks left of this.

FWIW...

Coach Beckman stated at his farewell presser that he would not entice current UT commits to come to ILL. He stated if they contacted him directly with inquiries then and only then would he possibly offer scholarships to ILL. However, he and his staff have been openly poaching current UT verbals. So far only one player has de-committed and that was Mark Meyers to MSU over the weekend and he has a visit scheduled to U ILL this weekend and he may flop again. At least one verbal to UT has told the ILL staff to stop calling him. Most, if not all of Beckman's contacts are in Ohio and Oklahoma (OSU assist.) so he needs some time to work the state of ILL.

Coach Beckman is a good man and highly approachable and a good leader of young men. He was a very very solid citizen of Toledo for three years and represented our university and city well but the dog eat dog nature of recruiting tends to expose the seedy side of human nature like getting young men to reverse their promises with offers of fame and fortune.

It's always hard to lose a verbal especially one as talented as Church but NIU continually gets very good talent and he will be replaced with another high quality back!

(01-23-2012 12:12 PM)IamN2daRockets Wrote:  FWIW...

Coach Beckman stated at his farewell presser that he would not entice current UT commits to come to ILL. He stated if they contacted him directly with inquiries then and only then would he possibly offer scholarships to ILL. However, he and his staff have been openly poaching current UT verbals. So far only one player has de-committed and that was Mark Meyers to MSU over the weekend and he has a visit scheduled to U ILL this weekend and he may flop again. At least one verbal to UT has told the ILL staff to stop calling him. Most, if not all of Beckman's contacts are in Ohio and Oklahoma (OSU assist.) so he needs some time to work the state of ILL.

Coach Beckman is a good man and highly approachable and a good leader of young men. He was a very very solid citizen of Toledo for three years and represented our university and city well but the dog eat dog nature of recruiting tends to expose the seedy side of human nature like getting young men to reverse their promises with offers of fame and fortune.

It's always hard to lose a verbal especially one as talented as Church but NIU continually gets very good talent and he will be replaced with another high quality back!

+1

Well put.