Recruiting 201

Before our last segment on recruiting, a few news and notes items.

Fitz will address the Big Ten Media at noon CST (1:00 EST) today.  It will be streamed live on the BTN website.

Also, Skip has a chance to sit down with Dan Persa on the eve of Media Day, where Dan will be one of three speakers on behalf of the Cats.  Dan spoke about his recovery in this piece.  One of the bast things to take from it is his attitude.  Hopefully he can translate that to on the field performance comparable to his 2010 season.

In the second segment on recruiting, today, EVR will look at the 2011 incoming Wildcat class, with a focus on when we can expect to see our new players on the field.  We will also examine the status of the developing 2012 class.

First, however, a follow up on yesterday’s post.  One of our readers (known last year as Tim the Skeptic) pointed out that there is a theory among the Rivals message board posters that there is nationwide “star inflation” across the nation.  Meaning that across the board there are more four star and three star players rated – and more players rated overall, which makes for more two stars.  Now, EVR neither has the time nor the data to analyze this, nor how it compares to NU.  But what EVR does know is that as recently as 2008, NU was consistently getting more 2-stars than 3 stars.  While in the 2010, 2011 and so far in the 2012 class, NU has six 2-star players TOTAL.  So even if there is star inflation, it would have to be an abnormally high level in order to out-pace NU’s recruiting improvements over the last three cycles.

Christian Jones, WR – Spring, TX – 6’3” 199 lbs. – 3 stars / 5.7 Rivals Rating:  Jones is probably the most likely player to see the field in 2011.  It is generally easier for WRs to get acclimated to an offense – and as we all know, NU uses a lot of receivers.  But aside from that, Jones is a big dude and a big talent and is the headliner of the 2011 class.  Christian also had offers from Arkansas, Stanford and Texas Tech (and Harvard).  Compare to: Kim Thompson – Thompson was a little smaller but had the same 40 time.  Thompson was more of a role player at NU.  Jones should be able to use his size to be a difference maker in the Wildcat offense.

Cameron Dickerson, WR – Oradell, NJ – 6’3” 195 – 3* / 5.5: Dickerson is basically the same build at Jones, and is actually a touch faster.  While he does not have blazing speed, his size allows him to play faster than he really is, as can be seen by this clip.  There is such a log jam at receiver that Dickerson will probably have to redshirt in 2011.  Although, Cameron did play some DB in high school, so we may see him on some special teams.  Cameron also received offers from Indiana and Vanderbilt (and Harvard).  Compare to: Rashad Lawrence – Lawrence saw some good time as a true freshman in 2010, standing just one inch shorter than Dickerson.

Xavier Youngblood-Ary, WR – Altamonte Springs, FL – 6’3” 180 – 3* / 5.5: XYA rounds out a trio of very tall WRs.  Together they are three of the five of the tallest freshman WRs NU has seen in 2002.  While this clip shows Xavier against some pretty bad pass defenses (seriously, the team must have had one pass play called “throw deep to Xavier”) the catches on the latter half of the video shows his field awareness and athleticism.  Xavier will probably play third chair in the trio – and is least likely to play in 2011, but should develop into a key player because… Compare to: Ross Lane – Ross was an inch taller and a tick slower than Xavier, but learned to use his tall from to be a great receiver in the NU offense.

Jordan Perkins, RB – Lodi, CA – 5’11” 177 – 3* / 5.6: Jordan was a key focus of the NU recruiting effort; and was the #39 ranked RB in the country by Rivals.  Perkins is a little tall for his weight (or a little light for his height), but he carries his awkward frame really well, as you can see in this clip.  He looks to have great field vision and breakaway speed.  Xavier will likely begin the year as a redshirt, but could easily see some action in case of an injury – especially with the departure of Arby Fields.  Compare to: Adonis Smith – Adonis was a great compliment to Mike Trumpy in 2010, carrying only 8 more pounds than Jordan at the same height.  All the more reason for Jordan to redshirt so he is not continually blocked by Smith.

Zack Oliver, QB – Baton Rouge, LA – 6’4” 220 – 3* / 5.6:  When it is all said and done, Zack has the potential to be the star of this class, though he will have to wait his turn.  Assuming he redshirts, he could be groomed to be the starter beginning in 2014, after Kain Colter graduates.  Zack will not be likely to run as much as we are used to from an NU quarterback, but his frame makes him more of a prototype QB than the Cats have seen in a long time.  But as can be seen by this clip he ran a shotgun / spread-style offense in high school – so he should be ready to adapt to the Wildcat offense. Compare to: NU doesn’t really have a comparable player from a size standpoint.  Evan Watkins is much bigger; Mike Kafka is a little smaller.  Zack is somewhere in between – and hopefully he resembles Kafka.

Jarrell Williams, DB – Oak Lawn, IL – 5’10” 165 – 3* /5.6: Jarrell was obviously the all everything player at his high school, as can be seen by his highlight clip.  While most of the highlights are in his role on offense, you can see his speed and his strength.  He can also make nice plays on the ball.  Make sure to check out the hit he makes at 1:55!  Fitz has suggested that he is blowing up the defense, so all of the positions are up for grabs.  Jarrell is probably the most likely defensive player to see time, especially in a dime set.  Jarrell selected NU over offers from Boston College and Minnesota.  Compare to: Marquice Cole – Jarrell and Marquice have the exact same height and weight.  Cole was an unrated “zero-star” recruit – and now he on the New York Jets roster.  Not bad.

Andrew Smith, LB – Cincinnati, OH – 6’2” 200 – 3* /5.5: For a school that has consistently put linebackers in the NFL, it is hard to believe that Smith is only the third LB commitment in the last two classes.  This means that a lot will be expected of him as the years go by.  Not so much this year.  Smith also played safety in high school, which is a testament to his agility.  He also lined up as a DE on occasion, which is something that the Cats did with Quentin Davie on occasion last season.  This clip shows that Smith is an absolute ball hawk.  He chose NU over Stanford, Minnesota, and his hometown of Cincinnati.  Compare to: Nick Roach – Nick was an inch shorter and a little bigger but is the best comparable as a somewhat undersized LB. 

Deonte Gibson, DE – Lakewood, OH – 6’3” 225 – 3* /5.6: Deonte’s highlight film shows that he has great quickness and speed.  He will need to work on his strength if he wants to be effective against Big Ten defenses.  But he should be a solid pass rusher and a stopper against an outside running game.  Gibson had one of the most impressive list of courters, receiving offers from Pittsburgh, Stanford, West Virginia, and Cincinnati.  Compare to: Kevin Watt – Kevin is an inch taller, but should be a great mentor for Deonte.

Other 2011 incoming Players:

Treyvon Green, RB – Rowlett, TX

Mark Szott, TE – Aurora, IL
Shane Mertz, OL – Hazlet, NJ
Jack Konopka, OL – Palatine, IL
Geoff Mogus, OL – Lakewood, OH
Matt Frazier, OL – Kankakee, IL
Nick VanHoose, DB – Urbana, OH
Max Capman, DE – Ponte Vedra, FL
CJ Robbins, DE – LaSalle, IL

Please do not think that these players are not going to be integral parts of the Wildcat program.  EVR simply does not know enough about them to make an individual write up.

As for the 2012 class, as this blog mentioned yesterday, it is currently ranked 49^th in the nation and already has 13 recruits.  Here is the list so far.

Name	Pos	Ht/Wt	Stars	RR
Adam DePietro	OL	6-5/270	3	5.6
Chris Fitzpatrick	OL	6-1/235	NR	NR
Joseph Jones	DB	6-1/200	2	5.4
Malin Jones	RB	6-2/190	3	5.7
Dean Lowry	DE	6-5/225	3	5.7
Connor Mahoney	DT	6-4/270	2	5.4
Mike McHugh	WR	6-2/185	3	5.5
Eric Olson	OL	6-6/265	3	5.6
Ian Park	OL	6-4/295	3	5.5
Kenton Playko	OL	6-5/270	3	5.5
Jack Schwaba	TE	6-5/240	3	5.5
Dan Vitale	ATH	6-2/205	2	5.4
Dwight White	DB	5-11/175	3	5.5

Of particular interest is Malin Jones, who committed last October, from Naperville Joliet Catholic.  Malin is a big strong running back, who could give the Cats a running game unlike what NU has seen in a while.  He has also been making news on his Rivals page, where he recently reconfirmed his commitment to NU, amazed with his powerlifting numbers, and even joined the recruiting efforts by focusing on recruiting other prospects.  Watch out for this kid!

Speaking of other prospects, NU has extended offers to the following upcoming seniors, who are getting closer to making a decision.  EVR will be watching this list closely, along with adding to the list as other NU offers narrow their decisions.

Name	Pos	Ht/Wt	Stars	RR	NU choice
Ifeadi Odenigbo	DE	6-4/210	4	5.9	Top-5
Seth Jacobs	LB	6-2/205	4	5.8	Top-14
Greg Kuhar	DT	6-3/265	3	5.6	Top-9
Jehu Chesson	WR	6-3/182	3	5.6	Top-14
Nana Kyeremeh	DB	5-10/159	3	5.5	Top-15
Martel Summers	DB	6-1/186	NR	NR	Top-6

Odenigbo is a potential program changer.  NU is competing against Cal, Notre Dame, OSU and Stanford for his commitment.  According to his Rivals page, Ifeadi was “blown away” by his visit to NU.

Over the weekend, EVR will begin previewing the 2011 season with a recap of Fitz's comments at Big Ten Media day, a look at Dan Persa and the quarterbacks, and a preview of the first two games.

Go Cats!