The bigget news of all, however, was that Morgan Park defensive end Craig Drummond, the No. 1 player in the class of 2009, reported that he had passed his ACT exam with a score of 22. If he achieves a 2.0 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), the 6-5, 265-pounder will qualify for any of the leading Division I programs in the country.

Meanwhile, Johnsburg's C.J. Fiedorowicz has emerged as the No. 1 junior in the state. In fact, the 6-7, 235-pound receiver with 4.54 speed could be the top-rated tight end in the country, one of the top 10 juniors. He has moved ahead of Fremd lineman Christian Lombard and Loyola defensive end Chance Carter, who also could rank among the top 25 in the nation.

How good is the class of 2010? Fiedorowicz, Lombard and Carter are the headliners. But defensive back Corey Cooper of Proviso East, who has committed to Illinois, McHenry quarterback Tom Rose, Fenwick defensive end Jack Ditmar, Wheaton North quarterback Taylor Graham, Hinsdale Central quarterback John Whitelaw and Lemont linebackers Zach Burns and Connor Nagel also are potential standouts.

Rose is Fiedorowicz' cousin. Ditmar, a 6-4, 240-pounder, is described by Fenwick coach Joe DiCanio as "our best player in years." Lombard, a 6-6, 280-pounder at age 15, projects to be a dominating offensive lineman. Cooper, a 6-2, 200-pounder, is beginning to attract a lot of attention from other schools.

The class of 1986 is the highwater mark in Illinois, the best group of recruits ever produced in this season. It was headed by St. Rita linebacker John Foley, the Player of the Year, who was injured at Notre Dame. But St. Laurence's Tim Grunhard and Stan Smagala, Young's Russell Maryland, Homewood-Flossmoor's Nolan Harrison, Schaumburg's Paul Justin and Sandburg's Jeff Alm reached the NFL.

Among the seniors, Providence's Pat Ward and Sandburg's Mike Schofield are the fastest rising players in the state. They will have over 20 offers in the next few weeks. Ward, a 6-7, 300-pound, dwarfs other offensive linemen. He has redefined his body, put on good weight and looks like an All-American.

Glenbard West offensive lineman Chris Watt, who is smaller than Ward and Schofield but more dominating on film, said he has narrowed his list of schools to Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Boston College, Penn State and Stanford.

Other seniors who surely will enhance their reputations with productive senior years are Richards tight end Sean Pratl, Lemont linebacker Luke Anderson, Hubbard linebacker Darius Moffett, Lemont fullback Tyler Burns, Glenbard North defensive end Kyle Schwetz and Lake Forest defensive lineman Scott Covert.

Covert, son of former Bears offensive lineman Jimbo Covert, is a 6-2, 240-pounder who needs to bulk up to play defensive tackle in college. But he is relentless and demonstrates the same aggressive nature as his father.

In the 1970s and 1980s, I didn't even go to Las Vegas to evaluate recruits. In those days, it was rare for more than one All-America prospect to come out of the entire state of Nevada.

No longer. There are 22 high schools in the Las Vegas area and there are several big-time recruits, including at least two top 100 players--6-5, 255-pound defensive end Justin Chaisson, who is committed to Oklahoma, and 6-4, 235-pound defensive end Keenan Graham, who has been offered by 33 schools, including Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Other Las Vegas products who figure to attract a lot of Division I attention are 6-2, 240-pound linebacker T.J. Alofipo; 6-3, 220-pound linebacker Liloa Nobriga, who has been offered by Nevada-Las Vegas; 5-9, 191-pound running back Akil Sharp, who has been offered by Stanford, California and other West Coast schools; and 6-0, 215-pound linebacker Damien Proby, who has been offered by Northwestern.

Also 6-3, 310-pound offensive lineman J.T. Tofaeono; 6-4, 300-pound offensive lineman Alanzi Langstaff, a diamond in the rough who missed his junior year because of a knee injury; 6-0, 160-pound cornerback Reese Campbell; and 6-0, 175-pound Torin Harris, who is the best cornerback in the state.

Another standout is 6-4, 215-pound wide receiver/defensive end Kyle Van Noy of Reno, an outstanding 400-meter runner who has been offered by California and Nevada-Las Vegas.

Nevada is one of the last frontiers for football talent that many colleges still don't cultivate, like Hawaii. Several players don't have scholarship offers because not a lot of college coaches bother to recruit in the state. I recall one coach who visited Las Vegas only to gamble for two days.

Personally, I like kids who don't have any offers. I like writing about them. Maybe I can help them to get offers. For example, wide receiver Jamal Patterson of McDonough, Georgia, didn't have any offers after signing day last February.

I watched the 6-3, 205-pounder on film and felt he had enormous potential. He is one of his state's leading hurdlers. He averaged 20 yards per reception last season. And he has a 4.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.

On my travels, I mentioned his name to several coaches, insisting that he was good enough to attract offers. I said he was one of the best wide receivers I had seen. Once they evaluated his film, nearly every school offered a scholarship. Today, he has more than 30 offers, including Illinois, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Notre Dame has a history of infighting between the administration and rich, powerful alumni. White didn't cater to the alumni, who wanted to run things.

But White turned Notre Dame into a first-class athletic program off the field.

First, in the last three years, he oversaw the building of top-notch facilities that are as good as any school in the nation.

In the last 20 years, many assistant coaches told me that they wouldn't accept a position at Notre Dame beause the school was so cheap.

Notre Dame was living in the past, on their rich tradition of Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian and Holtz, until White brought them into the new millenium.

A good bet to succeed White is Bubba Cunningham, currently the athletic director at Tulsa. Cunningham is a Notre Dame alum who once served as an assistant athletic director in South Bend. He went to Ball State, then to Tulsa to be groomed for the Irish job. Now he's ready.

Believe me, college coaches who go to Hawaii to sit on the beach and don't bother to evaluate the local talent are making a big mistake.

The most talked about player in 10 years is linebacker Mati Te'o, a 6-2, 225-pounder from Honolulu. He ranks with Jarvis Jones of Columbus, Georgia, as the two best linebackers in the country. Neither is committed. Te'o has been offered by Notre Dame--coach Charlie Weis made a personal visit in January--but he is leaning to USC. He also has been offered by 27 other schools, including Tennessee, LSU and Auburn. Brigham Young also is in the mix.

Te'o is a devout Mormon and plans to go on a two-year mission before enrolling in college. He was an all-stater as a junior. He is a difference-maker, good enough to rank among the top 20 players in the nation. I loved him on film. He dominates games.

The No. 2 player in Hawaii is 6-6, 330-pound offensive lineman Stan Hasiak of Kapolei, who has offers from most Pac-10 schools.

Other standouts are 6-5, 295-pound offensive lineman Kapua Saik of Honolulu, who has offers from Hawaii and Utah and will attract more; 6-2, 235-pound linebacker Chad Lopati of Kapolei, who would have 10-20 offers if he was playing in Chicago; and 6-1, 160-pound wide receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann of Honolulu, who averaged 20 yards per reception last season and has been offered by Washington State, Arizona and Hawaii.

For example, running back Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., who is committed to Miami (Fla.), is rated No. 9 in the country by Rivals, behind Notre Dame-bound Cierre Wood of Oxnard, Calif., who is rated No. 3. But Brown is rated as the No. 2 player in the nation by Scout.

I go with Brown. Both had good junior seasons but Brown played against better competition. Both are outstanding ball-carriers but I favor Brown because he has more speed. I haven't seen a better running back than Brown.

I believe Rivals is closer to the target on this one. Heastie is very good and has good size and hands. But he isn't a super threat. He is one of the top five wide receivers in the nation but not top three.

Offensive lineman Xavier Nixon of Fayetteville, N.C., is rated No. 4 by Scout and No. 27 by Rivals.

Scout is right. Nixon is the No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation among all seniors. But the best offensive lineman of all is junior Seantrel Henderson of St. Paul, Minn. Nixon looks thin at 275 pounds. He is the prototypical left tackle. He will grow to 310-320 pounds in college.

Defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland of Luftin, Texas, is rated No. 2 in the nation by Rivals and No. 35 by Scout.

McFarland is somewhere between Nos. 10-20. I saw him in December. He has decent size for a defensive tackle but he isn't overly fast or big. He makes plays but he isn't a dominating player yet. He might be the best defensive tackle in the country but he doesn't have top 10 production yet.

Coach Pete Carroll already has 10 commitments and is well on his way to signing the No. 1 class in the nation. It is headed by quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana, the nation's top-rated player, and a host of gifted wide receivers.

Barkley, a 6-3, 220-pounder, is as good as Notre Dame freshman Jimmy Clausen was coming out of high school last year, when he was rated as the No. 1 player in the country. Barkley never talks about himself and is quiet and unassuming. I think he will be an outstanding NFL quarterback.

Other USC commitments are 6-2, 227-pound linebacker Marquis Simmons of Compton, 6-4, 215-pound tight end Morrell Presley of Carson, 6-6, 300-pound offensive lineman Kevin Graf of Agoura Hills, 5-11, 175-pound wide receiver DeVon Flournoy of Lake Balboa, 5-11, 175-pound wide receiver Randall Carroll of Los Angeles, 6-1, 186-pound running back/strong safety Pat Hall of Los Angeles and 6-2, 195-pound safety Chris Metcalf of Compton.

Simmons is one of the leading linebackers in the nation. Presley looks and runs like a wide receiver. Graf is one of the best offensive linemen in the country. His father was an offensive lineman at USC and blocked for Anthony Davis and Sam Cunningham.

Flournoy averaged 21 yards per reception last season. Carroll is the fastest sprinter among the football players I have seen. Hall has been told that he must play strong safety in college. Metcalf is very physical, a hard hitter.

A big sleeper is 6-2, 205-pound wide receiver Jemari Roberts of Long Beach. He has been offered by every Pac-10 school except USC.

Marlon Bennett of Santiago, a 6-3, 220-pound tight end, has been offered by Minnesota. Notre Dame, Michigan and most West Coast powers have offered 6-1, 200-pound wide receiver Shaquelle Evans of Inglewood, who averaged 20 yards per catch last year and is one of the top three wide receivers in the nation.

Quarterback Allan Bridgeford, a 6-4, 215-pounder from Mission Viejo, is committed to California. He is coached by Bob Johnson, the most famous quarterback coach in the nation. Colorado and several Pac-10 schools have offered 6-6, 228-pound quarterback Clark Evans of Los Alamitos.

Marlon Pollard, a 6-1, 165-pound wide receiver/defensive back from San Bernardino and one of the state's best athletes, committed to UCLA over Notre Dame, Washington and Nebraska.

The top running back in California, 6-0, 208-pound Cierre Wood of Oxnard, recently committed to Notre Dame. A year ago, Wood was rated ahead of Colorado-bound Darrell Scott of Ventura, who was rated as the leading ball-carrier among all seniors in the nation.

Every school from USC to Florida recruits in the Garden State. I haven't seen Illinois but virtually everyone else, including Northwestern, is making its presence felt despite the fact that there isn't a single 5-star prospect in the state, not a single top 25 player.

In fact, there is no concensus about the No. 1 player. There are 10 to 12 who are big-time prospects. But who is the best still is to be determined.

Aaron Hayward, a 6-0, 190-pound wide receiver/running back/defensive back from Carneys Point, has been offered by Rutgers, Maryland, Virginia and Penn State. He has been timed in 10.6 seconds for 100 meters.

Shawney Kersey, a 6-2, 165-pounder from Woodbury, is the best wide receiver in the state. He has been timed in 10.4 seconds for 100 meters. Rutgers is said to have an edge over Boston College, West Virginia and Oklahoma.

Another talented wide receiver is Tyree Watkins, a 6-2, 185-pounder from Camden. He also plays free safety, quarterback and running back. Iowa and Michigan are in the mix.

The best tight end is 6-5, 285-pound Malcolm Bush of Hackensack. He also is a standout at defensive end. Florida and Clemson have offered.

The best offensive lineman is 6-4, 285-pound Khalil Wilkes of Jersey City. Northwestern has offered. He scored 1,520 on his SAT.

The two best defensive linemen are teammates at The Hun School, a private prep school in Princeton. They are 6-6, 260-pound Anthony LaLota, who has played only one year of organized football but already has landed 30 offers, including Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, has has emerged as the most widely recruited player in New Jersey; and 6-1, 290-pound noseguard Tyler Stockton, who is committed to Notre Dame. Stockton is one of the top four nose tackles in the country.

The biggest sleeper is defensive lineman Mike Larrow, a 6-3, 250-pounder from Union. Not a lot of people are talking about him and only Rutgers and Syracuse have offered. I think he should have at least 20 offers at this time. He is that good.

Another noseguard to watch is 6-3, 295-pound Isaac Holmes of Hoboken, who has 15 offers, including Notre Dame, USC, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.

The crop of linebackers is headed by 6-2, 225-pound Carlo Calabrese of Verona, who has been offered by Notre Dame, and 6-2, 225-pound Glen Carson, the state heavyweight wrestling champion, who has been offered by Iowa, Michigan State and several Eastern schools.

That's a shocker, a huge catch for Clemson. It is so unusual for any school to go into the Lone Star State and beat Texas, USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan or Florida State for homegrown talent, especially a top 10 prospect.

The top three players in the seven-state area are quarterback McCallum Foote of Dedham, Mass., tight end Arthur Fontaine of North Dartmouth, Mass., and wide receiver Josh Adams of Cambridge, Mass., who has transferred to a prep school in Chelsea, Connecticut.

Adams, a 6-4, 220-pounder, is committed to North Carolina. He is one of the best wide receivers in the nation.

Fontaine, a 6-5, 245-pounder, has great hands. He has been offered by Georgia, Florida and several Eastern powers.

Perhaps the best interior lineman is 6-6, 260-pound Brennan Williams of West Roxbury, Mass., whose father played in the NFL. He is one of the most recruited prospects in the state.

Other players in Massachusetts to watch are 6-4, 190-pound safety Jim Noel of Everett, and 6-4, 230-pound defensive end Darryl Bishop of Groton, whose father played football and basketball at Kentucky.

Top players in Connecticut are 6-4, 220-pound tight end Jake Golic of Hartford, son of former Notre Dame and NFL player Mike Golic, who has committed to Notre Dame; 6-3, 235-pound linebacker Forrest West of Salisbury; 6-5, 275-pound offensive lineman Tim O'Brien of Kent; 5-10, 185-pound running back Andre Lawrence of Hartford; and 6-1, 175-pound wide receiver Marcus Allen of Bristol.

Underarmour has received a commitment from USC-bound quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana, Calif., the nation's top-rated player.

So Underarmour has two of the nation's top 20. The U.S. Army, which sponsors the All-American Bowl game in San Antonio in January, has 10 of the top 20 to date, including running backs Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., and Chris Whaley of Madisonville, Texas, and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick of Gadsden, Ala.

It will be more competitive than last year when the U.S. Army clearly dominated the field. Why? Because Barkley's quarterback guru Steve Clarkson, who ran Air 7 for Sportslink, the company that owns the U.S. Army game, had a falling out with Sportslink and joined Underarmour. He is calling other prospects and has talked wide receiver Marlon Brown of Memphis, Tenn., to join Barkley in the Underarmour game.

Another player who figures to play in the U.S. Army game is quarterback Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla., who recently committed to Georgia. I believe he is the equal to Barkley as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation. But Murray is two inches shorter.

In my view, in Murray Georgia got a quarterback who is better than current starter Matt Stafford. Murray can run better, is a great athlete and is a perfect fit for the spread offense. He could step in as a freshman if Stafford is injured.

I saw Fellows on film. I didn't think he was so great and said so. Wow, some bloggers jumped all over my case. But Fellows reminded me of Michigan's Shawn Crable...same build, not as quick, not a dominating player.

One scouting service in Ohio rated Fellows as the No. 1 player in the state and a lot of bloggers accepted that information as gospel.

At his impressive size, Fellows looks the part. He passes the eyeball test. And he plays well. But he isn't a dominating player yet. He doesn't do what Simon and Hall do. He committed to the first school that offered him, then changed his mind. He could change his mind again.

I didn't rank Fellows in my early listing of the top 100 juniors in the nation because I felt that, even though he has the body to be a top 100 player, he hasn't played like one. I felt the same about Montini's Garrett Goebel (Ohio State) and Marian Central's Sean Cwynar (Notre Dame) last year. To their credit, they came on at the end of the season to earn spots among the top 100;

Kirkpatrick, a 6-2, 180-pounder from Gadsden, is one of the top three cornerbacks in the country.

Johnson, a 6-3, 230-pounder from Andalusia, has 4.5 speed and rates among the top 10 linebackers in the nation.

Other top prospects are 6-4, 190-pound quarterback A.J. McCarron of Mobile, 6-4, 255-pound defensive lineman Anthony Orr of Harvest, 6-2, 290-pound defensive lineman Jamar Travis of Drewton, 6-2, 250-pound Auburn-bound defensive end Terrance Coleman of Mobile, 6-3, 220-pound wide receiver Kendall Kelly of Gadsden and 6-6, 290-pound defensive lineman Brandon Moore of Montgomery.

Mississippi is a difficult state to evaluate because there is only one large city, Jackson, the state capitol. Brett Favre, Walter Payton, Archie Manning and Jerry Rice all came from small towns.

Another thing about Mississippi...most kids go to SEC schools, almost every one. Of course, a good number go to junior colleges first because of poor grades.

It is a poor state so instead of playing video games and enjoying other distractions that can be found in wealthier states, football is a way out, as baseball is in the Dominican Republic.

The No. 1 player in Mississippi is 6-4, 280-pound defensive lineman Josh Boyd of Philadelphia, probably the best player to come out of his town since Marques Dupree in 1982. He is one of the top three defensive linemen in the state.

It is a good year for defensive linemen and quarterbacks in the state. Two other outstanding linemen are 6-4, 240-pound Fletcher Cox of Yazoo City and 6-4, 260-pound Ryan McSwain of Hattiesburg.

Five quarterbacks rank among the best in the country--6-3, 210-pound Clayton Moore of Louisville, 6-5, 220-pound Chris Garrett of Tupelo, 6-2, 190-pound Cameron Lawrence of Senatovia, 6-5, 200-pound Tyler Russell of Meridian and 6-3, 210-pound Jamie Collins of Meadville.

Collins, who is such a good free safety that he might be moved to defense right away, could be the best of all. Moore was the Class 3A player of the year. Lawrence impressed at the U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio in January. Russell committed to Mississippi State after Garrett de-committed.

Two outstanding wide receivers are 6-3, 210-pound Pat Patterson of Macon and 5-11, 185-pound Chad Bumphis of Tupelo, who has over 20 offers.

Reuben Corley of Batesville, a 6-2, 240-pounder, is the best blocking fullback in the country.

Wood, a 6-0, 200-pounder, is a five-star performer who chose Notre Dame over UCLA. Last fall, he rushed for 2,600 yards and 42 touchdowns.

How good is Wood? He is ranked as the No. 3 player in the nation by Rivals.com. In my view, he is the best running back in the West and one of the top three in the nation along with Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., and Trent Richardson of Pensacola, Fla. Richardson plays at Escambia, the same high school that produced Emmit Smith. Last season, Wood was acknowledged as the most valuable player in his area, ahead of Colorado-bound Darrell Scott, who was rated as the No. 1 senior running back in the country.

Stockton, a 6-0, 290-pounder, is a four-star player.

Major colleges didn't release the names of their recruits until two months after signing day. They didn't want any information to leak out. Instead, they stockpiled more players. They didn't want to mention names so they could continue to recruit.

Joe Montana was one of seven quarterbacks brought in at Notre Dame in 1974. Major Ogilvie was one of several tailbacks recruited by Alabama in 1977. Later, they said they didn't know anything about the others. In those days, it was an acceptable way of doing business.

But look how things have changed. As I noted in my book, "Football's Second Season," recruiting today is a season onto itself. Some fans and alumni get more enjoyment and entertainment out of following the recruiting wars than going to their alma mater's games. It's like conducting the NFL and NBA draft every day of the year.

Look what has happened since the early 1980s, since USA Today, ESPN and the Internet turned recruiting into one of the most popular game shows since Jeopardy. Colleges soon gave up trying to keep it secret. Now they embrace recruiting. They want to get as much publicity as possible on signing day.

It has brought parity to recruiting and college football. Because the NCAA has reduced the number of scholarships from 35 in 1977 to 30, then to 25 in the 1980s, more college programs have become competitive. More schools are going to bowl games. Instead of sitting on the bench at Notre Dame or Michigan or Ohio State or Alabama or Oklahoma or USC or Texas, kids can play at other schools.

The kids are smarter, more savvy about the recruiting process, not as naive as they once were. They are wary of schools that try to stockpile talent. They ask more questions. They are more mature and aware of their options.

Take the case of Nico Johnson of Andalusia, Alabama. He comes from a small town about two hours southeast of Montgomery. It is so far out of the mainstream that my cell phone didn't work there.

Twenty-five years ago, Johnson probably would have slipped through the cracks. He might have received only one or two offers from local schools. Today, he has 20 offers and probably will attend Alabama or Auburn. But he still plans to visit Florida, Florida State and Tennessee.

The point is Johnson is one of the best linebackers in the country but hardly anyone would know about him and he certainly wouldn't know about the X's and O's of the recruiting process if he didn't have access to the Internet and other means of learning how the process works.