I attended the Wheaton North/Morgan Park and New Trier/Maine South playoff games last weekend and came away very impressed with four juniors--Morgan Park defensive end Craig Drummond, Maine South quarterback Charlie Goro and running backs Mike Trumpy of Wheaton North and Dominique Bell of Morgan Park.

In fact, I believe Drummond or Goro will be the No. 1 player in the Chicago area next year.

Drummond, a 6-5, 240-pounder, comes off the ball with burst and strength. He is exceptionally quick for a big guy. He is relentless, has good body control and good lateral movement and pursues well. And he never takes a play off.

He could rank ahead of Goro because defensive ends are harder to find than quarterbacks. Big guys who are very athletic and productive, like Drummond, are hard to find. He has the look of Richard Dent, the former Bears All-NFL defensive end, with high cut legs and long arms. He looks like he will weigh 270-280 pounds in the next two years.

Goro, a 6-3, 182-pounder, has completed 75 percent of his passes this season. He surprised me with his arm strength. He is the total package. He has size, throws the deep out pass with authority, isn't afraid to throw over the middle and demonstrates great poise, confidence and leadership qualities. He could be the best quarterback to come out of the Chicago area in the last 10 years. He is more polished that Demetrius Jones (Morgan Park) and Juice Williams (Vocational).

He is a high school version of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. I was surprised at his running ability and ability to bide his time to find open receivers. He doesn't worry about pressure. As far as college is concerned, he needs to find an offense that will work around his talents, rather than fit into another system.

Trumpy, the nephew of former Illinois and NFL player Bob Trumpy, was stopped cold by a Morgan Park defense that was geared to contain him. But I think he will be one of the most recruited running backs in the Midwest as a senior. Even in defeat, he looked like a big-time running back with good speed and burst. He is fast, tough and bigger than former Wheaton Warrenville South star Dan Dierking.

Bell, a 6-0, 200-pounder, showed more speed than I anticipated. Trumpy came into the game with all the publicity but Bell had a better game. Of course, he had a better supporting cast. Bell is strong, has good vision, balance and burst. He was able to turn the corner on Wheaton North's defense consistently.

Other Morgan Park players who impressed me were 6-4, 350-pound senior offensive tackle William Sargent, 6-4, 315-pound junior offensive tackle Terrance Allen and 6-1, 180-pound sophomore wide receiver Daron Brown.

Sargent was the best lineman on an offensive front with a lot of big guys on it. I think college recruiters should look at him. He needs more experience and he isn't a dominating player as he should be. But he has good feet and is athletic. He could develop into an outstanding lineman in college.

Allen doesn't look like he is in great physical condition yet. But he has quick feet and great size. He has trouble getting to the second level of blocking. With another year to play, he bears watching.

Brown will be one of the most recruited players in the Chicago area as a senior. He can be a big offensive weapon. He has good hands and is very electric in the open field. He has big-time speed.

Two other juniors who have great size and potential and could develop into big-time prospects in another year are 6-5, 280-pound tackle Jamie Tesnow of Wheaton North and 6-5, 315-pound tackle Mark Zielinski of New Trier.

Tesnow had trouble against Morgan Park because he was matched up against Craig Drummond, who also beat Wheaton North's other offensive tackle, Nick Adamle, who is committed to Northwestern.

Zielinski needs to work with a speed trainer to improve his quickness, something every big guy needs to do. But he is persistent, doesn't give up on blocks and played both ways against Maine South. He seems to be technically sound.

Finally, a note on Homewood-Flossmoor's Supo Sanni, who committed to Illinois on Sunday. He isn't a great wide receiver but he looked very good on defense when I saw him. He is a good catch for Illinois coach Ron Zook. He isn't real fast but he has a strong body, is very athletic and looks like a college player, physically and athletically. He has the potential to be a dominating player when he begins to concentrate on football.

Posted by Second Season at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

Notre Dame, whose incoming recruiting class is universally regarded as the best in the country, got even better on Sunday when coach Charlie Weis received an oral commitment from wide receiver Michael Floyd of St. Paul, Minn.

Floyd, rated as the No. 11 player in the country, chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota. As a junior, he was Minnesota's high school player of the year.

He is the go-to player that Notre Dame's offense is lacking this season. He ranks as the No. 3 wide receiver in the nation behind Julio Jones of Foley, Ala., and Georgia-bound A.J. Green of Summerville, S.C.

Posted by Second Season at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Some of the top-rated juniors in the Class of 2009 have made recent commitments, another indication how accelerated the recruiting process has become and why college coaches aren't reluctant to offer scholarships to 15-year-olds.

USC has landed two of the top juniors in California, 6-1, 215-pound linebacker Marquis Simmons of Compton and 6-2, 280-pound offensive lineman Kevin Graff of Agoura Hills. Simmons is the No. 1 linebacker in California for 2009 and Graff is the No. 1 offensive lineman in the state's junior class.

Ohio State has a commitment from one of its state's top juniors, 6-3, 225-pound linebacker/running back Storm Klein of Newark.

One of the leading quarterbacks in the Class of 2009, 6-5, 215-pound Chris Garrett of Tupelo, Miss., chose Mississippi State over Ole Miss, LSU and Tennessee. Because he committed so early, he is a good candidate to wind up somewhere else before he signs.

There still are some highly regarded seniors on the market. Two who recently made commitments are 6-4, 240-pound defensive lineman Chancey Aghayere of Garland, Texas, and 6-3, 200-pound wide receiver Lynell Payne of Marlton, N.J.

Aghayere, a top 100 player, chose LSU over Texas and Florida. Payne picked Cincinnati over early leader Rutgers, Clemson, Connecticut and Syracuse. It is one of Cincinnati's biggest catches ever. Payne's cousin, Jamaal Green, played for the Dolphins and Eagles in the NFL.

Posted by Second Season at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wauconda coach Glen Kozlowski, the former Bears wide receiver, asked me to attend his team's game against Vernon Hills last Friday. He wanted me to evaluate Brad Wisniewski, a 6-2, 230-pound fullback whom he believes is a big-time prospect that colleges are overlooking.

After watching Wisniewski rush for nearly 200 yards, I believe he is the best fullback prospect in the state. He doesn't have any scholarship offers but he shows Division I skills. His quickness (4.79) is suspect and is the likely reason why college recruiters aren't knocking on his door.

But he reminds me of an old-school Woody Hayes-type fullback. He can block, run and catch. It takes several tacklers to get him down on every play. I counted eight on one play. He runs like a bull, low to the ground and over tacklers. He can get the tough inside yards. He also is an excellent blocker.

A junior who could develop into a Division I player next year is Wauconda defensive back Colin McKenzie, a 6-1, 175-pounder who could play safety in college.

The best freshman in the state could be DaVaris Daniels of Vernon Hills, a 6-2, 175-pound wide receiver and the son of former Bears defensive lineman Phillip Daniels, who now plays for the Redkins. He starts on the varsity, the only freshman starter I've seen in the Chicago area.

Only 14, DaVaris is a go-to receiver and kick returner. He is very mature for his age. He got my attention right away. I didn't know who he was but he ran good pass routes even when he wasn't getting the ball. He showed great speed and body control--and he has three more years to develop. He'll be a big-name player as a senior.

Posted by Second Season at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More than 100 players who made early commitments last year opted to de-commit and attend other schools. And the number will be just as many or more this year. Already 30 have changed their minds.

Russell Ellington of Homewood-Flossmoor, a wide receiver/linebacker, committed to Iowa State a few months ago, then de-committed and recently committed to Iowa as a wide receiver.

It may be a good decision for Ellington because Iowa has no speed receiver on its roster. The Hawkeyes can't stretch a defense so Ellington could earn some early playing time.

But Iowa lost one of its top recruits in lineman Riley Reif of South Dakota. He switched from Iowa to Nebraska.

And Illinois' top running back, Jason Ford of Belleville Althoff, who originally committed t Iowa, now says he wants to look around. He admitted he might have committed too early.

The top player in Arizona, quarterback Gerrell Robinson, a 6-4, 210-pound senior from Chandler who had committed to Arizona, has reopened his recruiting and wants to be recruited as a wide receiver. Notre Dame offered him a scholarship two days ago.

This kind of thing opens the floodgates for more de-commitments in the future. And it makes a farce out of the college recruiting process. It might force the NCAA to consider an early signing period a la basketball.

Trevor Robinson, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Elkhorn, Neb., de-committed from Nebraska and said he will choose Nebraska, Notre Dame or Michigan. He is one of the two best prospects in his state.

Notre Dame, still hoping to improve its talent level by adding quickness and strength in the defensive line, has scheduled a big recruiting weekend for the USC game. The two primary targets are 6-3, 200-pound wide receiver Mike Floyd of St. Paul, Minn., and Omar Hunter, a 6-2, 300-pound nose tackle from Buford, Ga.

Floyd, the player of the year in Minnesota as a junior, is the speed receiver that Notre Dame lacks. Notre Dame is thought to lead but Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio State also are in the mix. Hunter, who is the type of defensive lineman that the Irish desperately covet, already has committed to Notre Dame but USC still is recruiting him.

Posted by Second Season at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

My right-hand man in the Chicago area, Greg Georgeles, and I observed a couple of high school games last Friday and we came away impressed with several players who could be Division I prospects, especially offensive lineman Mark Zielinski of New Trier.

Zielinski, a 6-5, 300-pound junior, plays offensive right tackle for the Trevians but he likely will be an offensive guard in college. He could be the best junior lineman in the Chicago area. And he could be New Trier's best recruit since Clay Matthews, who was an all-stater in 1973 and went on to play at USC and in the NFL.

He has a wide base, good foot movement, pushes defenders to the outside, has a quick first step and maintains blocks, then slides upfield looking for more. He is a typical Michigan and Iowa offensive lineman, big and thick.

Zielinski favors Michigan at the moment. But he also is considering Notre Dame, Northwestern and Wisconsin and would like to attract more interest from Illinois.

Maine South senior wide receiver/kick returner Danny Benson is only 5-8 and weighs 175 pounds. But he is the most prolific pass receiver in the Chicago area with nearly 1,000 yards in receptions. He reminds of former Northern Illinois star Garrett Wolfe in the open field.

Benson has great moves, good hands, open field quickness, good hips and good vision. He is a deep threat and also is a difference-maker as a punt and kickoff returner. It might sound crazy but Benson reminds of Bears star Devin Hester in his ability to let plays develop in front of him, then find a route through the tacklers.

Maine South junior Charlie Goro, who has passed for more than 2,000 yards in eight games, has emerged as the No. 1 quarterback in the Chicago area. He is well-trained and well-developed by Maine South offensive coordinator Charlie Bliss, who has produced several outstanding quarterbacks (John Schacke, Sean Price, Tyler Knight) at the Park Ridge school. But Bliss admits that Goro is his prize product.

Goro has dispelled reports by some critics that he can't throw a deep ball in Maine South's spread offense. He has quick feet, great poise, stays in the pocket, reads defenses well, picks out his receivers and can throw any type of pass that is required. And he has another year to get even better.

Carmel's best player is Ryan Williams, a free safety who is a good athlete, has good range and is a hitter. He has Division I potential if someone will give him a chance.

Boston College coaches attended the Carmel/St. Viator game to see St. Viator senior offensive tackle Emmett Cleary, one of their early commitments. Cleary has good feet but he doesn't overpower anyone. BC coaches like his potential, however. He isn't a great player yet. He needs to redshirt as a freshman, get stronger and add 30-40 pounds.

Another St. Viator player who attracted BC's attention during the game was wide receiver Eric Huber, a 6-2, 200-pound senior who will play either wide receiver or safety in college. He is very athletic and demonstrated Division I potential as a sure-handed possession receiver and hitting ability on defense.

Posted by Second Season at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The best prospect on the field in Saturday's thrilling Mount Carmel/Loyola game in Wilmette--the top-rated Caravan won in double overtime--was Loyola's Chance Carter.

Carter,a 6-4, 240-pound defensive end, will be special with more strength. As he is, the 15-year-old junior is one of the best defensive players in the state. He is very athletic and also plays basetball but his future is in football. He will be one of the most recruited players in the country as a senior. He is aggressive and very nimble footed. He will weigh 260-280 pounds in a couple of years with his frame.

I continue to be impressed with Loyola quarterback Peter Badovinac, who completed 28-of-48 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns against Mount Carmel. He has a big-league arm and is a good leader. I think he has what it takes to be a Division I quarterback.

But the best player on the field was Brian Lindsay, Loyola's wide receiver/defensive back. The 6-2, 200-pounder makes a lot of plays. He has Division I skills as a wide receiver or safety. He is a possession-type receiver and a good hitter on defense with good instincts.

Mount Carmel linebacker Steve Filer makes plays. He isn't as spectacular and doesn't possess the burst of St. Rita's Darius Fleming. He isn't a pass rusher like Fleming. But Filer is more consistent. He is steady, good on almost every play. He is either making a tackle or close to it on every snap. He always is around the ball, always on his feet.

Posted by Second Season at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was too good a matchup to pass up. Marian Central's Notre Dame-bound Sean Cwynar vs. Montini's Ohio State-bound Garrett Goebel, two of the three best linemen in the state going head-to-head on Friday night in Woodstock.

There has been a lot of hoopla written about the two on recruiting Websites. One service rates Goebel No. 2 in the state behind Mount Carmel linebacker Steve Filer with Cwynar rated No. 4 behind St. Rita defensive end Darius Fleming.

So who is better? One game doesn't make a season. But on Friday, I was disappointed. Neither one stood out. Neither one made a difference on defense. I have seen their film and I expected more.

Both are big-time Division I playeers. They have great size and quick feet. I suppose there was pressure on both, particularly on Cwynar because Marian Central's starting quarterback was injured and coach Ed Brucker was forced to use a wide receiver to fill the void.

Offensively, both did their jobs. Both have been recruited to play defense in college but I think both are better on offense. On Friday, they both did a good job of run and pass blocking and didn't allow a sack. They have potential to be All-America guards in college.

In the Suburban Catholic, which hardly compares to the Catholic League Blue or DuPage Valley, Goebel and Cwynar should be dominating players on defense--but they weren't on Friday night. Playing in 80-degree heat, they both seemed to be conserving energy while playing both ways. In the first half, Cwynar made two tackles, Goebel one. Neither rushed the quarterback, which they should be able to do in this competition. Both were single-blocked most of the time.

In fact, Montini's Northwestern-bound Chuck Porcelli did a good job against Cwynar, who couldn't do anything against him. Porcelli gave Cwynar more trouble than Goebel.

The best player on the field, in my view, was Montini's Wisconsin-bound Dex Jones, who stood out as a running back and linebacker. He is very athletic, aggressive and makes a lot of plays. He was doing what Goebel and Cwynar should have been doing.

Another player of note is Cody O'Neil, Marian Central's junior offensive lineman. He plays hard and will be an offensive lineman in college. He isn't quick enough yet to play defense. He isn't a dominating player at this point but he has good potential.

At the moment, I still rate Fleming and Filer as the two best players in the state. But which is No. 1 is too close to call. The No. 3 spot will go to Goebel, Cwynar or Illinois-bound offensive lineman Graham Pocic of Lemont. I'll reserve judgment until the end of the season, after I see them a couple of more times. But I am leaning to Pocic, a 6-7, 310-pounder with great feet and improved quickness who is productive on offense and defense. He will be an offensive tackle in college.

Posted by Second Season at 01:05 PM | Pe