After individually discussing all 31 recruits in Northern Illinois 2012 football class, coach Dave Doeren said he hoped "five to seven" would play as freshmen.
"I hope so," Doeren said, listing receiver Tommylee Lewis, kicker Tyler Wedel, special teamer Rob Sterling and defensive end Jason Meehan as freshmen who played last season. "It's hard to pinpoint who it will be, but there will be several of them. I would expect five to seven of these guys who can play [early] for us."
Doeren spoke about 45 minutes during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Yordon Center. Here are some key notes:
– Doeren said he had 25 scholarships open. He offered 23, and eight committed as preferred walk-ons. He said he's offered seven walk-on players a scholarship, and he would not be opposed to offering scholarships to walk-ons in this class if they earn it.
– Doeren said QBs Drew Hare and Matt Williams received scholarships, while Johnny Eagan is a walk-on. NIU only had two quarterbacks on roster after four-year starter Chandler Harnish exhausted his eligibility. Doeren said he preferred to have five, so the program is still one short of optimal.
– Doeren signed 13 linemen (seven offensive, six defensive) and 10 players who weigh at least 275 pounds. He also signed three 300-pounders, a somewhat high number for the Mid-American Conference. He said the goal was to have 16 offensive linemen on scholarship – a three-deep at each position.
– Doeren on the benefit of having a full year to recruit: "Once we knew NIU inside and out, it was easier to target who could be a true success here. I think our first class, we did a very good job meeting some needs. We recruited some guys that I had a really good background with from being at Wisconsin – and some of the other coaches – and we found some guys from Chicago. But it wasn't a class that we were able to sink a year into like this one. We really know everything about the kids. We were able to educate them, and really hand-pick them, and fit our needs the way that we know our team."
– Doeren said former offensive coordinator Matt Canada's departure to Wisconsin didn't have a negative impact on the class: "All our coaches did a great job of crossing over with the kids, and all those kids were very well-tuned with every coach on our staff, including myself. So, when he left, we called every guy and told them what was going on, and they were all fine with it."
– Doeren on success impacting recruiting: "It opens doors for sure. There are only six teams in Division I football that have back-to-back, 11-win seasons, and we're one of them. We have the nation's longest winning streak right now. So there's a lot of things – third in the nation in [academic progress rate] – and all those things open doors.
1:05 p.m: What about the class of 2011?
In less than two hours hours, Dave Doeren will discuss his second recruiting class at NIU. As you read below, there are plenty of differences between the class of 2012 and 2011. Before we completely moved onto 2012, I wanted to take one last look at Doeren's inaugural class.
Here's who I listed as the top five 2011 recruits one year ago.
1. Jamal Womble, RB
2. A.J. Sebastiano, WR
3. Andrew Ness, C
4. Tyler Wedel, K/P
5. DeVonte Majors, TE
Obviously, with the benefit of hindsight, some opinions have changed. Tommylee Lewis had a tremendous freshman season. His two kickoff returns for touchdowns were directly responsible for the Huskies win at Toledo. It would be hard not to put him at No. 1 on that list right now.
Sebastiano and Ness redshirted, but I think both still will play a big role in the future. It's a bold prediction, but I think Sebastiano is the second-best receiver on the roster next season, behind Martel Moore. If Ness stays at center, he could have a tremendous position battle with Michael Gegner. For the time being, I'm fine with keeping Sebastiano and Ness where they are on that list.
Wedel handled kickoff duties starting with the season opener, and didn't give them up through the season. We haven't seen any of Majors, who redshirted last season, but NIU signing his former high school QB (Fort Zumwalt West's Drew Hare) can only be beneficial. Womble got playing time, but minimal carries. He'll have the opportunity to earn more in the spring.
Two other omissions from my top five list are CB Jhony Faustin and DE Jason Meehan. Both played in their first season at NIU, and both contributed favorably. Faustin and Meehan are in the discussion when it comes to top five recruits from 2011.
Of course, it's impossible to grade NIU's 2011 recruiting class as anything but incomplete. As you read today, you need at least two years for an accurate evaluation. But with the early impact from guys like Lewis, Faustin and Meehan, and the depth that will get its first crack at playing time this fall, it certainly looks like a solid class right now.
12:25 p.m: Footballscoop.com is reporting that former Northern Illinois wide receiver/receivers coach PJ Fleck is returning to DeKalb to become NIU's offensive coordinator.
Fleck has coached receivers at Rutgers for the past two seasons.
11:19 a.m., Trends from NIU's current list of 30
A year ago, Dave Doeren announced 22 recruits on his first signing day. With a year to work instead of just a couple months, he's announced quite a bit more today.
Three hours after NIU began announcing recruits, 30 are listed on the recruiting roster. Before we get to the list, here's a couple of noticeable trends.
1. Three quarterbacks in this class. I'm interested to learn how many received a scholarship.
2. As I mentioned, a lot of players who can play the three-point stance. There are 15 linemen/tight ends on the list so far, and a couple linebackers who could drop down to rush end if the coaches want. And some HUGE guys, too. NIU definitely beefed up.
3. Tons of local players. More than half (16) from Illinois. Almost half (13) from Chicago or the surrounding area. Compare that to last year: only three Illinois recruits. Doeren said last February his goal for this recruiting class was to have a heavy Illinois influence, and he followed through.
Now, here's the current list.
– OL Dustin Adams, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Minot (N.D.) High
– OL Sal Arceo, 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Mt. Carmel (Chicago) High
– DE Matthew Baltimore, 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Olathe East (Kan.) High
– DT Ken Bishop (junior), 6-foot-2, 311 pounds, Ellsworth Community College
– CB Anthony Brooks, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Warren Mott (Detroit) High
– OL Daron Brown, 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, Mumford (Detroit) High
– DT Brian Canoy, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, St. Patrick (Chicago) High
– LB Mike Cotton, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, O'Fallon (Ill.) High
– QB Johnny Eagan, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Wautoma (Wisc.) High
– LB Ladell Fleming, 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Julian (Chicago) High
– RB Perez Ford, 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Romeoville (Ill.) High
– S Conner Gavin, 6-foot, 190 pounds, Notre Dame (Chicago) High
– WR Clayton Glasper, 6-foot-4, 197 pounds, Richwoods (Ill.) High
– QB Drew Hare, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Fort Zumwalt West (Mo.) High
– RB Keith Harris Jr., 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Leo (Chicago) High
– LB Cody Hazelett, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Simley (Minn.) High
– TE Lincoln Howard, 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Osceola (Wisc.) High
– DE Michael Ippolito, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Neuqua Valley (Ill.) High
– CB Charles Ivory, 6-foot, 170 pounds, Vero Beach (Fla.) High
– DT Mario Jones, 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Hubbard (Chicago) High
– TE Desroy Maxwell, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Amundsen (Ill.) High
– CB Marlon Moore, 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, C.F. Vigor (Ala.) High
– OL Levon Myers, 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, Franklin (Wisc.) High
– OL Josh Ruka, 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, Greenfield (Wisc.) High
– LB Austin Smaha, 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Belvidere North (Ill.) High
– OL Brad Steger, 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, Rock Island (Ill.) High
– P Mark Strbjak, 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Munster (Ind.) High
– OL Scott Taylor, 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, Marian Central Catholic (Ill.) High
– DT Corey Thomas, 6-foot-3, 294 pounds, Lindblom Math & Science Academy (Chicago)
– QB Matt Williams, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Geneva (Ill.) High
10:38 a.m., Mumford OT Brown 'a special kid'
Eric Smith was still celebrating being hired as Mumford (Detroit) High's football coach when he got the call. As he reached for the phone, he wasn't expecting to hear from one of his new players.
But when Smith picked up, it was 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive tackle Daron Brown on the other end. Mumford's star senior wanted to introduce himself and congratulate Smith.
"He kind of surprised me," Smith said, "because nobody knew that I was going to be the next head coach. So I was trying to find out how he found out, how he got my cell phone number. I was sitting there celebrating with a couple other coaches.
"He was one of the first guys who contacted me, congratulated me. We've built a relationship since then. It was like poetry in motion because I was really excited that he went out of his way to try to find out who his coach was going to be."
Smith quickly realized Brown was a special athlete, but the first sign wasn't his size, athleticism or quick feet. During summer workouts, Smith arrived at the gym around 6 a.m. Most mornings, Brown was there waiting for him.
"He met me at the door at 5:45 a.m.," Smith said. "And I said, 'Oh Lord, this guy is going to be something special.' He told me he was afraid I would be insane, or some crazy drill sergeant, and he just didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with me. And I was like, 'That's a good way to start.'
"He really is the first one in, and the last one to leave."
Smith and Brown were in the Ford Field stands in December for the MAC Championship game. When NIU coach Dave Doeren talked to Smith and Brown afterward, he told them he hoped to return in 2012. Smith told Doeren he'd be in the stands for that game, too, and he wouldn't be the only one.
"I said, 'You'll have half of Detroit with you,' " Smith said. "[Brown] will have a fan base here. He's that type of kid, a special kid."
9:35 a.m., Meet NIU's highest-rated freshman, G Scott Taylor
Ed Brucker will miss the passionate halftime speeches.
The Marian Central Catholic coach lost track of how many times he'd walk into the locker room after an uninspiring first half, only to see 6-foot-4, 270-pound guard Scott Taylor doing his job for him. Taylor never shied from setting things straight, even if it meant getting in teammates' faces, spit-screaming mad. He was the lifeblood of his team, a true leader.
And he'll have to be replaced, because Taylor submitted his signed national letter of intent to NIU this morning. But the intangibles are only part of the reason ESPN ranks Taylor the highest-rated freshman in NIU's 2012 class.
"He's a very athletic big guy," Brucker said. "I mean, he's a pretty good kicker, he can throw the ball well, he's a good baseball player, his agility is good. For a big guy, he has that athletic ability that he can transfer to the football field."
It's rare for any lineman to play right away as a freshman, even if they are a three-star recruit like Taylor. Brucker said Taylor will have to improve and adapt to the college level like everyone else. But he thinks he's a little further along than most.
"Technique-wise, he's good," Brucker said. "I think he probably could get in the weight room a little more. He's been doing other things like wrestling, which cuts into his weight-room time. But I think technique-wise and stuff, he's ready to go."
As for the halftime speeches?
"I think he might go in as a freshman and be a little shy," Brucker said, laughing. "But eventually, I think so."
9:03 a.m., Hare an heir to the shotgun?
Jordan Lynch seems to have distanced himself in the competition to be NIU's starting QB next season. You could say the same right now for Matt McIntosh at backup. But the Huskies signed another quality quarterback recruit this morning in Fort Zumwalt's Drew Hare.
You'll be hearing a lot from me about Hare over the next day or so. Just know when I spoke to Fort Zumwalt coach Paul Day last week, he raved about Hare for a solid 10 minutes.
Hare, who was high school teammates with NIU TE DeVonte Majors, set a Missouri high school state record with a 72 percent completion rate last season. His career rate hovered around 69 percent, and he fits NIU's dual-threat mold, rushing for roughly 1,400 yards in his career. Day said he made big play after big play for a winning program, and it was clear early that Hare was a special quarterback.
"When he was a freshman, we saw him do things most quarterbacks can't do," Day said. "Very rarely do you get a freshman that goes to his second read, and Drew was a guy that just as a little dangly freshman would sit back there in the pocket and would go from his first read to his second and make a great throw. And then in our open gyms sophomore year, you saw the accuracy, and he started to develop size-wise and strength-wise.
"We thought he was going to be pretty doggone good then. And his junior year, it was pretty obvious. I think he's a dynamite quarterback whose going to do very well at the college level."
Hare said he was recruited by Indiana, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa before he committed last summer, although none of those schools offered a scholarship. He knows quarterback has plenty of competition for playing time, but said NIU coach Dave Doeren told him he'd have a chance to compete. As for goals, Hare made it clear he's all about winning.
"Hopefully we can win the MAC four years in a row," he said.
8:34 a.m., NIU announces first six
NIU has announced the first three signees from its 2012 class: junior DT Ken Bishop of Ellsworth Community College, freshman LB Mike Cotton, LB Cody Hazelett, QB Drew Hare, RB Keith Harris Jr. and Ford.
Bishop, a 6-foot-2, 311-pound DT, is the first in what will become a trend today. Whether intentional or not, NIU is beefing up. Be on the look out for quite a few players who line up in a three-point stance.
Cotton was a late addition for NIU who signed last week after decommitting from Indiana. Described as a physical, run-stopping linebacker, you can read about him here.
8 a.m., Ford hoping to stay at RB
This day is about excitement. Dreams are reached. Futures are sparked. Everyone – from Akron to Northern Illinois – feels like they're announcing the recruiting class that will lead to a Mid-American Conference championship.
There will be many smiles today. But when I asked Romeoville High senior Perez Ford about his excitement on the eve of signing day Tuesday night, well … you had to admire his honesty.
"Well," Ford said slowly in a baritone voice, "I'm not a very … I'm not a person that gets very excited."
Ford, a three-star recruit and one of the highest-rated players in NIU's 2012 class, is one of several players expected to submit their signed national letter of intents to NIU today. He said he's happy to be a Huskie. He chose NIU because "they treated me like family," he said. But, forgive him if the celebration is short-lived. He's just ready to get to work.
Listed simply as an "athlete" on recruiting sites, Ford said he signed as a running back – a position he never played full time until his junior season. He left the door open to make a position switch to safety or linebacker – positions he spent more time at in high school – if the coaches prefer, but said he wants to stay at running back.
"This is what I want to do, but if I step on the field and they say, 'We feel you're much more suited at linebacker or receiver or wherever,' I'm cool with that," Ford said. "But I liked the fact that they were like, 'OK, this is where you want to be recruited at? We'll look at you like this.' "
A college-caliber player on team that didn't win many games, Ford didn't rest on Friday nights. Romeoville coach Jeff Kuna asked Ford to play both sides of the ball – from running back, receiver and slot to strong safety, outside linebacker and, if the situation was right, defensive end. Ford also returned kicks.
No matter where he lined up, Kuna said Ford looked comfortable.
"He's a multitalented football player," Kuna said. "It's not like he just does one thing. He can do a number of things to help the team. He's got great speed and strength, and a lot of versatility to do different things. He's big and strong enough to play closer to the line, but has the foot speed to play in the secondary."
Sounds like a running back.
At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Ford described himself as a physical back. He also runs a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. The first time he lined up in the backfield, he felt like he found his home. He's hoping NIU will be the same fit.
– Ryan Wood, @rwood_DDC on Twitter, rwood@shawmedia.com
