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There must be a reason or reasons why none of the top four football prospects in the Class of 2010 in the Chicago area are seriously considering the University of Illinois.
There must be a reason or reasons why Illinois coach Ron Zook signed only one of the top six players in the Class of 2009.
There must be a reason or reasons why the Illini landed only two of the top 12 players in the Class of 2008.
Is the Chicago area overrated? Is Zook focusing on other regions where the talent is richer and more promising? Are the homegrown athletes who are being recruited by Notre Dame, Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota not good enough for Illinois?
"As long as he recruits well, it doesn't matter where they come from. Fans want good players," said recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports, who has been observing the process for 30 years. "If you win, people don't care of you don't recruit in your own state, only if you lose.
"Illinois seems to have different priorities. Their priorities are Florida and Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. They have a presence. They offered most of the top players but lost them. Last year's class was very good. This class isn't as good as the last two. But Illinois always struggles in Chicago so it is smart to go to other areas."
Zook keeps his own countenance. He doesn't discuss recruiting or anything else with anyone who doesn't eat at his table. But even his most ardent cheerleaders are asking questions, wondering where the magic has gone, criticizing what they perceive as a dropoff in recruiting.
For example, a recent report on Rivals.com stated that Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State were setting a fast pace in recruiting for 2010, that even octogenarian Joe Paterno was showing a renewed vigor and determination to keep Pennsylvanians at home.
Zook as one local commitment for 2010, defensive back Corey Cooper of Proviso East, but he continues to visit other schools so observers wonder how firm his pledge really is. Fremd offensive lineman Christian Lombard, who has committed to Notre Dame, isn't taking any calls.
Of the top three uncommitted juniors, Johnsburg tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz has narrowed his list to six--and Purdue and Illinois are on the bubble, after Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State; Proviso West wide receiver Kyle Prater, whose coach Famous Hulbert is a former Illinois player, said three finalists are Penn State, Michigan State and Stanford with Illinois one of 15 other schools that have offered; and Loyola defensive end Chance Carter, whose coach John Holecek also is a former Illini player, lists Notre Dame, Stanford and Wisconsin as his finalists.
In fact, Carter was offered by Notre Dame after attending a one-day camp in South Bend in June. Later, he went to a one-day camp at Illinois but wasn't offered.
"My girlfriend likes Illinois but I'm not a big fan," Carter said. "Champaign is too rural for me."
So what is Zook to do? Or is he doing enough? After all, he did sign the best player produced in Illinois last season, East St. Louis wide receiver Terry Hawthorne. And he lured arguably the state's best running back of 2007, Belleville Althoff's Jason Ford, away from Iowa. And nobody is complaining about the performances of quarterback Juice Williams from Chicago Vocational or running back Rashard Mendenhall from Niles West, now in the NFL.
"Chicago really isn't considered Illinois territory in football, not like it is in basketball," Lemming said. "Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern and Notre Dame are closer. Zook understands that and has alternative plans, which is what a smart recruiter does. He takes what he can get fro Chicago but makes sure he has other options.
"Chicago is a split city, like New Jersey. No school dominates recruiting in Chicago, not now, not ever. Everyone has had good years in Chicago but never consistently. It is a fragmented and segregated city and it's the same in recruiting. That's why nobody ever dominates."
Cell Phone Alerts
I TOTALLY AGREE COACH ZOOK IS TOP OF THE LINE!
HE HAS BROUGHT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO U OF I, TEAMS
NOW KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO PREPARE TO THE MAX, TO STAY
WITH THE ORANGE AND BLUE!
I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK COACH ZOOK FOR SIGNING THE
TWO YOUNG MEN FROM MY ALMA MATER, LEO HIGH SCHOOL LAST
WEEK, MY FORMER TEAMMATE MIKE HOLMES IS DOING A GREAT
JOB IN LION LAND!
ALSO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO COACH BOB FOSTER, WHAT A GREAT
MAN AS WELL!
THANK YOU COACH ZOOK AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT IN
THE CHICAGOLAND AREA!
Have you ever written an article in your life that doesn't quote Tom Lemming?
TinkerBell needs to take a look around. Illinois is not the greatest of football areas the past few years. We will take a few good players from Chicago that understand the Illini Family, and we will go all over the country for the rest. This whole post is pointless because you wouldnt give Zook credit if he did recruit everyone from the area.
Prater will be in Illinois discussion. Everyone that follows recruiting knows that.
Next thing you know, there will be posts on here about how Illinois missed out on Earlzo.
Obviously Taylor Bell does not "eat at his (Zook's) table". Another article from Taylor that talks about Illini Football recruiting with a Notre Dame spin to it. Low on facts and high on exaggeration. Just because someone does not go to Illinois, does not mean Zook did not recruit him hard (Watt, Schofield, etc.) When will Taylor Bell just write an article that the headline read, "I am anti Illinois with my buddy, Lemming, and I want all of Chicago to know it"
Is New Jersey even a city?
Ok, you think you are a clever writer, but in fact the smart Illini fans can see right through your fairy tale messages! Why do you think Zook doesn't recruit the chicago area? How many kids from here did he just sign? Obviously you can't get everyone, well I mean if Illinois had the low standards like sec schools we could get some more but at Illinois they value the education as well!
I think you need to do more research before doing an article esp. about recruiting. Prater is high on Illinois list and you have him as 1 of another 15... Good choice of words though misleading to someone who didn't know. Why are you so mad at Illinois anyway??
Oh bill self was a great recruiter and good coach but he chose to leave, we didn't kick him out.
Taylor, I'm sure you were the first one to state that Red Grange wouldn't attend Illinois. We all know that you (and the great one TL) have been doing this forever, and are by far more knowledgeable and accomplished than all of us peons (yes, I've received your self promoting e-mail's in the past). I have to give you credit on this article though, "there must be a reason" that you stated 3 teams are finalists and then included UofI in the offered category(when they are clearly at or near the top for him, and that he has even stated he was confused by what you wrote). "There must be a reason" that Zook keeps his own countenance, even though he has gone to you house in the past. "There must be a reason" that local players do not have offers or attend other schools - maybe like the same reason since you were in diapers, that the area has always had fractured loyalties and that Illinois has never enjoyed any advantage. "There must be a reason" I continue to read you - you remain one of the funniest comedians working, and I hope you never retire.
Mr. Bell,
You clearly don't understand the Illini Nation very well...If you did you'd provoke the Illini Nation by writing transparent articles highlighted by quotes from "recruiting analysts" magnifying your ignorance. If only we would choose to recruit Chicago....
I read the article twice after reading the criticism. I guess I don't understand the criticism because I didn't see anything wrong with article. As a long time Illini fan, I used to get very frustrated that Illinois players didn't want to play for Illinois. I am happy Coach Zook hasn't banked his career on being able to dominate the state. I hope all the great players come, but if they don't I am glad there is a very viable alternative.
I'll take a **random** kid from the top 100 in the state of Florida. You take a **random** kid from the top 5 in Illinois. Do this over several classes until we both have teams of eleven players. My team will beat yours 9 times out of 10.
I think Zook is starting to learn this fact. For all the acclaim that Zook received for recruiting Illinois when he got here, what did it get him? Juice, Hooman, and Asamoah. Those are the only guys that have made a difference so far from Illinois. The starting lineup on offense has 4 players from Illinois, and defense has three maybe? Now do the math -- 51 players on Illinois' roster are from the state of Illinois. You would think more than 7 of 22 could crack the starting lineup.
That's a pathetic showing for players from the IHSA -- truly pathetic.
Give me a Chicago basketball player over any other area in the country, but I will give the best Chicago football players for top 100 kids from Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania .a.n.y. .d.a.y.
Seems Mr Prater takes exception to Bell's nonsense:
--------------------------------------------------
Prater also wanted to set the record straight when it comes to having any early favorites.
"It was written in one of the Chicago newspapers last week that I already have three favorites, and in all honestly that couldn't be any further from the truth. I'm not sure if I wasn't clear in responding to the reporters question or maybe he was confused, but the three schools he listed as my so-called favorites were actually the three schools who have offered me recently and that was all. The three schools mentioned are all fine schools but I'm really far from naming any real favorites for now."
"It was written in one of the Chicago newspapers last week that I already have three favorites, and in all honestly that couldn't be any further from the truth. I'm not sure if I wasn't clear in responding to the reporters question or maybe he was confused, but the three schools he listed as my so-called favorites were actually the three schools who have offered me recently and that was all. The three schools mentioned are all fine schools but I'm really far from naming any real favorites for now." - Kyle Prater
Mr. Bell - I've heard that Notre Dame is struggling to recruit in Chicago and word in the recruiting circles is the way Weiss and staff treated Demetrius Jones has shut them out from the Chicago public league schools. They didn't sign anyone from Chicago in 2009 and don't have anyone list interest in 2010 - do you think ND is out permanently in Chicago or will it just take time to recover?
Peter Pan, I hate to tell you this but ND signed the #1 lineman in the state in Chris Watt who is from Glen Ellyn, IL.
I'm an Illini grad and fan first, but like IllinoisFanFirst above, I see nothing wrong with this article in the least bit. Our recruiting in Chicago has its ups and downs. It always has and always will. For every year where we get someone like Juice or Martez, there will be a year like 2008 where tOSU gets Garrett Goebel from Lombard, and ND gets Steve Filer from Mount Carmel and Fleming from Rita, and we're left out in the dust.
Until we win around 8 or more games per year consistently, we're not going to recruit consistently because we don't have a name cache as Michigan might in a down year (last year), Notre Dame (last few years to say the least), or even a Penn State. Once we reach that point, then we can slam faulty articles, but until then, he's right.