Scouts ahead of schedule in wooing gridiron talent

April 7, 2006 | BY TAYLOR BELL

The May evaluation period is a few weeks away. But college football recruiters haven't been surfing in Hawaii or fishing in Florida or golfing in Arizona. They've been sizing up Illinois' top junior prospects on film and offering scholarships to top performers.

The most highly sought player in the state is Lemont's Aaron Nagel, a running back and safety who is being recruited as an outside linebacker. He received 12 offers, the last one from Notre Dame, which he accepted. That was the one he said he was waiting for -- no need to wait for more.

No one else has committed yet. The list of players who have received the most offers is headed by Bolingbrook running back Dale Martin, Hubbard running back/ linebacker Robert Hughes, Marian Central lineman Bryan Bulaga, Thornton wide receiver Anthony Morris, Lemont lineman David Molk, Joliet Catholic linebacker Kevin Rouse, Batavia lineman Mike Garrity, St. Rita lineman Matt Conrath, and Hinsdale Central tight end Jack DiNardo.

Other local products attracting interest are King lineman Miles Stroter, Simeon wide receiver Martez Wilson, Hubbard lineman Brian Thomas and linebacker Justin Hickman, Barrington quarterback Teddy Schell and running back Andre Anderson, Plano linebacker Nick Nasti, and North Chicago lineman Darius Scott.

The best Downstate prospects are lineman Jack Cornell of Quincy Notre Dame, wide receiver Jerrell McDaniel of East St. Louis, lineman Josh Brent of Bloomington Central Catholic and quarterbacks Bobby Brennisen of Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Luke Hockaday of Maroa-Forsyth.

"There are a lot of question marks in the senior class,'' CSTV recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "May will tell the story. There could be a complete rewrite of the top 30 at the end of the month. Downstaters are getting more attention than ever before.''

Martin has 13 offers, including Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, Purdue, Louisville, Minnesota and West Virginia. But the 5-11, 195-pounder with 4.4 speed admits he hasn't heard from his dream school, Texas.

"Colleges see his highlight film and see that he doesn't get caught from behind and lowers his shoulder when he has to,'' Bolingbrook coach John Ivlow said. "But can he take a Big Ten pounding at 195 pounds? Or should he go to a more finesse offense like Louisville?''

Hughes has eight offers, including Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Virginia.

"He has the best hands of any back I've seen in the country,'' Lemming said. "He catches everything.''

Martin and Hughes are the only Illinois products listed among the top 100 prospects in the nation by Rivals.com.

Bulaga has six offers: Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana and Northern Illinois. Notre Dame, USC and Stanford are evaluating his tapes. The 6-5, 256-pounder is leaning to Iowa because of coach Kirk Ferentz's reputation for developing NFL linemen.

"He is the most recruited player I've ever had,'' said Marian Central coach Ed Brucker, a 35-year veteran who previously coached at Woodstock. "I've never had so many college recruiters come in so early. It's fun to have somebody recruited so much.

"He is the biggest recruit this school has had since [quarterback] Chuck Hartlieb went to Iowa in 1983.''

Morris, a 6-3, 205-pounder with 4.4 speed, has four offers: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Louisville. Thornton coach Bill Mosel said Morris could rank in a class with former Thornton and Michigan star and current NFL player Tai Streets.

"He has what college coaches are looking for,'' Mosel said.


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