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Apparently disturbed by news that none of the leading football prospects in Illinois in the class of 2010 might commit to the University of Illinois, a few Illini fans e-mailed to ask how such a thing could happen.
At this time--all of them can change their minds, of course, between now and signing day next February--neither tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz of Johnsburg nor defensive end Chance Carter of Loyola lists Illinois among their finalists.
Offensive lineman Christian Lombard of Fremd has committed to Notre Dame. Wide receiver Kyle Prater of Proviso West and quarterback Chandler Whitmer of Downers Grove South are considering Illinois. And defensive back Corey Cooper of Proviso East committed to Illinois as a sophomore but is visiting other schools.
Illinois coach Ron Zook is universally recognized as one of the premier recruiters in college football. But he admits it is most difficult to recruit within your home state because you always are open to criticism from high school coaches, alumni and fans who insist you overlooked a player here or there or in-between.
Zook has recruited effectively in Illinois--he lists eight Illinois products on his spring depth chart for the 2009 season, more than any other school in the Midwest--but he also hedges his bets by also recruiting players in Florida, Texas and Maryland. He also has offered prospects in the class of 2010 in Michigan and Ohio.
A check of the spring depth charts of Big 10 schools and Notre Dame reveals that Illinois lists eight in-state products in the starting lineup. Iowa and Northwestern have five starters from Illinois, Wisconsin three, Michigan two. No other school has more than one.
The list:
Illinois: Juice Williams, QB; Michael Hoomanawanui, TE; Jeff Allen, OT; Jon Asamoah, OG; Doug Pilcher, DE; Russell Ellington, LB; Martez Wilson, LB; Garrett Edwards, S.
Iowa: Tony Moeaki, TE; Bryan Bulaga, OT; Dace Richardson, OG; Brett Morse, FB; Kyle Calloway, OT.
Northwestern: Eric Peterman, WR; Rasheed Ward, WR; Sherrick McManis, CB; Doug Bartels, OT; Mike Kafka, QB.
Wisconsin: O'Brien Schofield, DE; Dex Jones, FB; Dan Moore, DT.
Michigan: David Molk, C; David Moosman, OG.
Minnesota: Brandon Green, WR.
Purdue: Dennis Kelly, OT.
Indiana: Matt Mayberry, LB.
Notre Dame: Darius Fleming, LB.
The two high schools with the most starters? Wheaton Warrenville South (Moeaki, Richardson) and Hinsdale Central (Pilcher, Morse).
But one of the smallest schools in the mix, Montini, has one starter (Jones) and second-string defensive tackle Garrett Goebel, a redshirt freshman and the only Illinois product on Ohio State's roster.
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Reason why U of I has problems is the Chicago Media.
Your first sentence says "news that none of the leading football prospects in Illinois in the class of 2010 might commit to the University of Illinois", and then you go on to say that three of the six players listed are considering Illinois- and one has actually already committed.
I'm not sure what qualifies as "leading", but it would seem that the top 22 (best at their position in their class in the state) would qualify. Anyone who thinks that Illinois will get none of these players is going out on a pretty big limb to call that even a rational notion, let alone "news".
How can we be disturbed if they have a commitment from Cooper, a top 5 prospect who isn't going anywhere despite visiting other schools, plus eventual commits Prater and WR Matt Milton (Prater is the real #1 player in the state and Milton is a top WR nationally with offers from Tennessee, etc.). That also does not include guys like LaKen Tomlinson, etc. They passed on Chance Carter a long time ago because on the field he's just average despite his huge potential. Notice why he doesn't have a scholarship offer. The TE, Fiedorowicz, has been lukewarm on the Illini since his recruitment began. That is most likely a loss unless he does a complete 180. I will give him his props he is a heck of a tight end prospect if he continues to work hard.
They are, however, in on several good tight ends so in the end they'll be okay. Micheal Hoomanawanui wasn't that highly ranked and he is going to be a top TE in the NFL draft next year. They also have several good young tight ends including a Class of 2009 player coming in from Tampa, Florida who runs a 4.56 40. His name is Justin Lattimore. Lombard didn't have an official offer in letter. Whitmer, although Illinois does have a shot, grew up down south Georgia so he hardly has ties to the state. That is most likely a loss there as well (Although I will say he isn't at the top of the Illinois QB board).
I doubt many Illini fans are emailing you this unless they're completely out of the loop in recruiting. Who can blame them, though, if they're only reading your articles? They paint Illinois as a team not doing good in state and trying to make up from other areas. Texas isn't where they're hedging their bets. They only have a legit shot at a couple of Texas prospects this year but they're hardly hedging their bets on them because this is their first year recruiting heavily there. They still have a name in Florida and are in the thick of things for several top Florida prospects. It'll be tough because they're fighting SEC powers for a few, but they've won those battles since Zook has been here and they'll continue.
The state of Illinois is very important in Illinois plans (Duh). They have been and always will be. But to try to get a national name program, a powerhouse program, they must try to recruit the best players possible everywhere. Illinois, as much as I love our state, isn't Texas where they can just recruit this state only. There will be players (Namely Catholic League and north suburban players) who dream of going to Notre Dame all their life like Lombard. So that cuts into the talent even more. But they will try to recruit the best possible regardless.
ALOT OF SCHOOLS CHOOSE ILLINOIS PLAYER'S TO PLAY FOOTBALL
IF YOU CHECK THE ROSTERS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES YOU WILL FIND ALOT OF ILLINOIS PLAYERS!
ALSO IF YOU CHECK THE CCIW CONFERENCE THERE ARE ALOT OF
PLAYERS FROM ILLINOIS ON THESE ROSTER'S AS WELL!
IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PLAYING ON BCS TEAMS, WELL THAT
ISN'T A STATE PROBLEM THAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL PLAYER TALENT
SITUATION, I GIVE TOM LEMMING CREDIT AND OTHER TALENT
GUYS FOR HELPING WITH FINDING BIG TIME TALENT FOR BCS
SCHOOLS, BUT LET'S FACE FACTS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SIZE
AND THE SPEED, THE BCS SCHOOLS AREN'T COMING FOR YOU!
LEO JUST HAD TWO PLAYERS SIGN WITH ILLINOIS, AND LOOK AT
JOSH FORNEY FROM MARIAN CATHOLIC HE SIGNED WITH A D-1
SCHOOL IN FLORIDA, IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
I THINK THE YOUNG MEN FROM ILLINOIS PLAY GREAT FOOTBALL,
AND SHOULD BE GIVEN A PAT ON THE BACK FOR REPRESENTING
OUR GREAT STATE WITH PRIDE, EVERYONE ISN'T A BLUECHIP
ATHLETE, BUT I COMMEND THE GUYS WHO KEEP PLAYING, REGARD-
LESS OF THE CONFERENCE, I SAY BRAVO, AND KEEP UP THE
GOOD FIGHT!
You make the point about Corey Cooper visiting other schools.
Have you forgotten about Terry Hawthorne committing to Illinois and then taking visits to other schools such as Mizzou and Oklahoma, a school he visited just one week before Signing Day? Hawthorne is the best player in his class.
Have you forgotten about Corey Liuget, the current starting DT who committed to Illinois in the fall of his senior year, continued to take other visits including to LSU and Miami (FL)? Liuget was a top prospect from Florida that year.
Have you forgotten that Juice Williams committed to Illinois and continued to take other visits, including a trip to OSU I do believe?
Under Zook's reign, only one player who has committed to Illinois has decommitted. And well, since you're an expert on Illinois you should know who that is.
And since you're an expert on the state of Illinois with regards to football, let's hear your top prospects for the rising junior class besides WR DaVaris Daniels. Or are you going to wait for Tom Lemming to do that first?
Taylor, you are the absolute worst but think you are the best. Why don't you write a blog about the players that won't pick Northwestern or Notre Dame or NIU or Michigan or...you get the point...at least I would think you would with a U of I degree. But, that was too many years ago although you are still proving to be sour due to the News Gazette.
Bottome line, Brian Cook, Jerrance Howard, etc will decommit from Illinois to DePaul...remember those predictions. How were your sources with those predictions???????????
It is about time you dropped your Illini agenda and actually become a columnist who can make people think...we are tired of laughing at your garbage.
Good riddance as if anyone should be fired or lose their job it is obviously you since you provide nothing other than garbage to the print world.
Johnny,
The Illinois prep landscape has been covered by hundreds if not thousands of writers over the last 60 years. Mostly small town homers that never left their own backyards. Only a few have ever separated themselves from each other. Dave Nightingale of the old Chicago Daily News in the 60's and 70's, Keith Reinhard of the Daily Herald from 1965 to the late 80's, Bob Frisk of the Daily Herald from the mid 50's till 2008 and Taylor Bell of the Sun-Times all come to mind. Without them kids like Dale Kelly of Galesburg, Jack Bastable of Wheeling, Dan Issel of Batavia and Jon Scheyer of Northbrook would have largely gone unnoticed till they surfaced in college.
Yes, Taylor is passionate about the Illini....... does it really matter?
I am sure he would rather see Northwestern beat out Duke for some local blue chipper. I remember his praise of Depaul when Joey Meyer landed Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings and Teddy Grubs.
Some day the prep scene will be without Taylor Bell and most likely the Sun Times as we know it today....... Where will you get your information then?
Jim,
Unless you are living in a vacuum, there is much more accurate information to be found on the internet than what Taylor Bell writes. Much more!!! And more accurate.
Except for OL, Zook needs to concentrate more on OH, FL and now TX as places to get top quality talent. FL, USC, TX, AL, GA et al dont come to Illinois as the athltetic talent is very slim.
On thing ZOok can do is recruit and he knows what he is doing. Illinois produces a ton of quality D1 basketball talent, fb is pretty much limited to OL with very few studs at RB, QB, WR, DE and LB. Benn that way for 30+ years.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO DEPAUL UNIVERSITY ON THE BASKETBALL SIDE, THEY STARTED RECRUITING NATIONALLY, AND NOW THEY CAN'T CONVINCE LOCAL TALENT TO STAY HOME, COACH ZOOK IS DOING THE RIGHT THING, NEVER GIVE UP YOUR BASE, YOUR HOME BASE, COACH ZOOK HAS A GREAT REPORE WITH THE CPS AND SUBURBAN SCHOOLS AND THE ENTIRE STATE, IF YOU GET A BLUECHIP YOUNGSTER FROM TEXAS, OHIO, MARYLAND, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, ALABAMA, THAT IS ICEING ON THE CAKE,
COACH ZOOK KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB, AND THANK YOU FOR
SIGNING THE TWO YOUNG MEN FROM LEO HIGH SCHOOL, MY ALMA
MATER, I ATTENDED THE LEO ALUMNI DINNER FRIDAY NIGHT,
600 LEO MEN STRONG IN ATTENDANCE!
COACH MIKE HOLMES IS DOING A GREAT JOB!
C.J. Fiedorowicz.....ILLINI bound, case closed on this beautiful blog....the Zooker can get whoever he wants.