Signing Day Capsules - Big Ten: Bielema grumbles about Ohio State, touts recruits
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema unveiled a 12-player recruiting class Wednesday and was asked whether he had noticed any changes in recruiting in a Big Ten with new coach Urban Meyer now in charge at Ohio State.
Turns out, the answer is yes.
"There's a few things that happened early on I made people be aware of that I didn't want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues," Bielema said. "Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very up front and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to Coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him and the situation got rectified."
Bielema didn't disclose any details. The Buckeyes visit Wisconsin on Nov. 17, and there's no telling whether the two coaches will talk more in the meantime.
Bielema lost six assistant coaches in the offseason while trying to land the recruiting class for the two-time defending Big Ten champions coming off an 11-3 season and their second straight trip to the Rose Bowl. Besides the 12 players signed to letters of intent, seven others received preferred walk-on offers.
"It was a blessing in disguise that it was a small class," said Bielema, who lost offensive coordinator Paul Chryst among others. "We're a relatively young football team. There really wasn't a lot of really huge numbers. If you were dealing with a class of 22 to 23, it would have been a challenge."
Two players who gave verbal commitments signed with other programs, including 6-foot-6 offensive tackle Kyle Dodson, an Ohio native who signed with Ohio State.
"Obviously there are two guys that at one point or another were committed to us, but in the end, they weren't really committed to us," Bielema said. "They were just a spot on the wall with a name and a scholarship next to them. But we transitioned, made due and still got some things out there."
One of class' touted players is Bart Houston, a 6-4, 215-pound quarterback out of De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., who led his school to a 39-1 record over three seasons as a starter. The Badgers will be replacing Russell Wilson, the dynamic quarterback who made a Heisman Trophy run last season and recently chose to pursue an NFL career instead of playing baseball.
All scholarship players for Wisconsin were signed to four-year offers instead of one-year, renewable deals. The four-year route was one favored by Big Ten Conference officials, but each program was given the option to do what it wanted, according to Bielema and Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez.
The four-year offer is not one that Bielema is in favor of, but he said he wants to do what's best for the students.
"We decided to go the four-year route and feel that's right for the kid," Bielema said. "Personally, I like the old system. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I thought we had a pretty good way of doing things, but it's a new age and a new way of doing things."
The Big Ten gave schools the option to adopt the four-year scholarships, rather than making it mandatory.
"The league office was supportive of it and encouraging everyone to do it," Alvarez said. "After it was voted down it was made optional. And that's something that will come up in the next cycle for the vote. Everyone had an option for what they wanted to do."
New Illinois coach adds 19 recruits in first class
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — New Illinois football coach Tim Beckman loaded up on running backs and defensive backs in his first signing class, a group that some recruiting-ranking services said was among the Big Ten's weakest.
Beckman signed 19 players on national signing day Wednesday, many of them holdovers recruited by his predecessor, Ron Zook. The recruiting service Scout.com rated Illinois' class last among the 12 Big Ten teams and 67th in the country.
Beckman took over Dec. 9 after departing Toledo, leaving him with just a few weeks to assemble a staff as well as start contacting Zook's recruits and lining up new ones.
He said Wednesday he wouldn't use his limited time as an excuse, noting that his first class at Toledo wasn't very highly regarded either. Beckman's Rockets teams went 21-16 in three seasons.
"I'm not going to talk about struggles," he said. "We all know we didn't have very much time. I can commend the recruiting class three years ago at Toledo. Those guys played — they weren't rated high."
Beckman takes over a team that went 6-6 in the regular season and 2-6 in the Big Ten, costing Zook his job. The Illini defeated UCLA 20-14 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Illinois' class includes three running backs — 5-10, 210-pound Dami Ayoola of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; 6-3, 195-pound LaKeith Walls of Cleveland; and Devin Church, a 5-8, 175-pound player from Southfield, Mich., who Beckman said will likely be a hybrid back-receiver.
Freshman Donovonn Young is the only tailback returning from last season's squad who had significant playing time. He had 451 yards and six touchdowns on 87 carries. The other two primary backs, Jason Ford and Troy Pollard, were seniors.
Beckman called Walls "an outstanding track sprinter" while saying Ayoola has both size and moves.
"He's a bigger guy," Beckman said. "I think he can make you miss in the hole."
The addition of six defensive backs, Beckman said, was intended to fill a hole in the roster. Two of last year's regulars, Tavon Wilson and Miami Thomas, were seniors.
"A couple of those players could also be wide receiver-type players," Beckman said. "We look for skill, and we got some skill."
One of the more highly regarded defensive backs is V'Angelo Bentley, a 5-10, 180-pound cornerback from Cleveland.
Illinois had one of the better defenses in the Big Ten last fall — fifth in scoring defense and second in total defense. But several key players are gone, including defensive end Whitney Mercilus, who led the country with 16 sacks before deciding to skip his senior season for the NFL draft.
The recruiting class didn't include a quarterback, but Beckman noted his roster includes four, including returning starter Nathan Scheelhaase and a freshman who played in 10 games, Reilly O'Toole.
-- David Mercer
Ferentz focuses on new arrivals, not Coker
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — For the second year in a row, Iowa fans waited for national signing day to hear coach Kirk Ferentz address a topic at least as pressing as his latest recruiting class. This time, Ferentz kept the focus on the 24 newest Hawkeyes.
Ferentz on Wednesday refused to get into further details about the departure of star running back Marcus Coker, who was suspended for last month's Insight Bowl for unspecified misconduct and has since left the program.
Ferentz was forced to use last season's signing day press conference to address concerns over a workout-related illness that sent more than a dozen players to the hospital. He said Wednesday he would discuss non-recruiting topics next week.
"We wish him all the best. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think Marcus is a tremendous young guy," Ferentz said about Coker. "Anything else, we'll be happy to talk about it next week."
With Coker gone, the Hawkeyes signed a pair of running backs who might see playing time as early as next season.
Leading the way is Greg Garmon, a 6-1, 200-pounder from Erie, Pa., who was a first-team all-state pick and notched 2,859 career rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Iowa also landed Cedar Falls running back Barkley Hill, who spurned Iowa State to sign with the Hawkeyes.
Garmon and Hill be thrown into a mix that includes returnees Jordan Canzeri, Brad Rogers and De'Andre Johnson as Iowa searches for a combination that can come close to matching the 1,384 rushing yards and 15 TDs Coker put up in 2011.
Ferentz also announced that reserve back Jason White will return for his senior season.
"That was one of the obvious positions of need for us. We really thought it was critical," Ferentz said. "Once we had commitments from Greg and Barkley we felt comfortable moving forward with those two guys."
Though Iowa is set at quarterback next season with returning senior starter James Vandenberg, the depth chart is slim behind him.
The Hawkeyes will bring in a pair of quarterbacks next season to compete with redshirt freshman Jake Rudock for the starting job in 2013 and beyond.
Cody Sokol is a rare junior college player to sign with Iowa, a sure sign of the urgency the Hawkeyes have this offseason. Sokol, who was born in Des Moines, threw for 3,087 yards and 43 touchdowns at Scottsdale Community College (Arizona) last season.
Iowa also landed Tennessee native C.J. Beathard, who'll be a true freshman and a likely redshirt candidate. Sokol could also redshirt next season, according to Ferentz.
The Hawkeyes struggled along the defensive line last season. They signed a pair of highly touted recruits in end Faith Ekakitie and tackle Jaleel Johnson, both from Illinois high schools.
Iowa also ventured into Illinois for offensive tackle Ryan Ward, a 6-5, 275-pounder considered one of the top prospects at the position in the nation.
The Hawkeyes loaded up in the secondary with five defensive back signees. They also landed four offensive linemen, four defensive linemen and three wide receivers.
Iowa signed more players from Illinois, five, than any other state, and brought in just three in-state players.
Though Ferentz wouldn't make any promises about which of his latest recruits will see the field in 2012, clearly they'll all have a chance to do so after Iowa finished just 7-6 last season.
"We're a really young team right now moving forward. I don't think we have a lot of returning All-Americans or All-Big Ten guys. So to me it's open season. Everybody is going to compete," Ferentz said. "We told every guy on this list that if they can come in here and help us, we're all for it."
-- Luke Meredith
Michigan's Hoke had time on his side for second class
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Brady Hoke was in charge of college football's winningest program for less than a month when he signed his first recruiting class at Michigan.
Hoke had a full year to recruit the 25 newest Wolverines and said it was a lot different.
"Having a whole year to get to know families, to make those relationships, and to touch people," he said Wednesday. "And, really find out as much as you can about a guy from the academic to the character side of it, their love and passion for the game and understanding the value of a Michigan degree."
Hoke replaced Rich Rodriguez last year, and he and his staff seemed to take full advantage of having more time on their side. Recruiting analysts have ranked Michigan's class among the top 10 in the country and have it rivaled only by Ohio State in the Big Ten.
"The exciting thing is, I think we hit some needs," Hoke said.
When Hoke was hired last year, he said there were about 16 linemen on scholarship instead of nearly 30 big guys he'd like on his roster.
The Wolverines signed four offensive and five defensive linemen this week.
"Are we replenished? No," Hoke said. "Are we're making progress? Yes."
Offensive tackle Kyle Kalis of Lakewood, Ohio, is regarded as the No. 1 player in Hoke's second class. He was originally bound for the Buckeyes, but switched his commitment in the wake of their memorabilia-for-cash scandal that led to coach Jim Tressel being forced to resign. Kalis' decision wasn't popular back home, but he didn't waver.
"He's got tremendous resolve," Hoke said. "When you have a great rivalry, those things happen."
Ohio State had a positive surge in recruiting when Urban Myer was hired, but Hoke insisted Myer's presence wasn't a factor he had to deal with when it came to keeping them committed.
Michigan's top recruit on the defensive line — where the Wolverines will probably have the most playing time up for grabs next season — is 6-foot-3, 320-pound tackle Ondre Pipkins from Kansas City, Mo.
"Any time you got a big defensive lineman in the middle that's always important," Hoke said.
Michigan focused its recruiting efforts in the state and just south of the border in Ohio, signing nine players from each state. It also landed a pair of prospects from Missouri and one apiece from California, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah — and not one from Florida, where Rodriguez regularly signed players when he led the Wolverines.
The Wolverines' top local players are linebackers Royce Jenkins-Stone of Detroit and James Ross, who starred at Orchard Lake St. Mary's. They got a late start on kick returner Dennis Norfleet of Detroit, recruiting him to perhaps make up for the loss of the dismissed Darryl Stonum. How late?
"To be honest with you, it was pretty much yesterday," Hoke said. "It happens that way sometimes. Believe me."
Hoke provides honest pitches to prospects, refusing to offer starting jobs to even the brightest star or say there's no shot a freshman will become a starter right away.
He also won't recruit them electronically.
"I don't Facebook, I don't Twitter, I don't email," he said. "If I want to talk to you, I'll call you up and we'll talk."
However, the Michigan staff does its homework on prospects by monitoring social media and talking to people who know them at their school and within their communities.
"Sad to say that because of social media, you can find out a lot about guys," he said. "That's what's changed, and I don't think it's for the good in a lot of ways."
-- Larry Lage
Michigan State announces 18-player football class
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — DeAnthony Arnett hopes to help shore up Michigan State's receiving corps right away.
Arnett was introduced Wednesday as part of the Spartans' 18-player recruiting class, although he's actually already played a season in college. Arnett, who is from Saginaw, transferred to Michigan State from Tennessee, moving closer to home. He says his father went on dialysis recently, and he's hoping to receive a hardship waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play for the Spartans without sitting out a year.
"Right now I haven't been given any indication which way they're leaning," Arnett said. "All I can do is sit back and wait and focus on school."
Michigan State loses standout receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin, who were both seniors last season. The Spartans also have to replace senior quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Arnett said he looked at how productive Michigan State receivers have been recently when making his decision where to play. Michigan may have also been a possibility, but Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson is often as much a threat to run the ball as he is to throw it.
"I looked at Michigan where it's kind of a thing where Denard is going to do Denard," Arnett said. "I had to go somewhere where I knew that I was going to get to play and get the ball."
The rest of the Spartans' class includes four players from Michigan, six from Ohio and two from Pennsylvania.
Including Arnett, Michigan State is bringing in at least four wide receivers, including Aaron Burbridge of Farmington Hills.
"We expect him to be an immediate contributor on this football team," coach Mark Dantonio said. "Has great, great body control, catching ability. Has size, has everything that you want as a wide receiver — breakaway threat."
Dantonio seemed convinced a number of his new players could play right way. Michigan State didn't need to use many freshmen last season because of the team's depth. The Spartans won 11 games for the second consecutive season.
Dantonio also said he's not concerned about the size of this class.
"The numbers are not big, but when you look at the numbers of our seniors this year, those numbers were not big either," Dantonio said. "We have a lot of players coming back, and the future is extremely bright at Michigan State coming off of two 11-win seasons."
The Spartans were impressive on defense last season, although they'll have to replace defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, who is leaving early for the NFL draft. Michigan State has signed four defensive backs, including Demetrious Cox of Jeannette, Pa.
"He's a black belt in karate — tremendous athlete, tremendous leader, I think, in the classroom and in his school," Dantonio said. "I think he's an impact player in all respects."
-- Noah Trister
Kill keeps majority of Minnesota kids in state
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Frustrated Gophers football fans have long lamented the top-tier talent crossing the border for rival schools. This year, most of it stayed home.
Minnesota's 2012 recruiting class has a locally grown flavor, with 10 new players for this season from inside the state, and to hear coach Jerry Kill tell it, the seeds were sewn just as much by each other as they were by the Gophers staff. Mankato West quarterback Philip Nelson, the Associated Press Player of the Year for Minnesota high school football in 2011, was the lynchpin in the process.
"Once Philip Nelson jumped on board ... it was just kind of a domino effect," Kill said Wednesday, after 19 national letters of intent were sent to the Gophers. Eight other scholarship players were already enrolled for the second semester, including Nelson, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect who used to live in Wisconsin but spurned the Badgers and a hard sell by Iowa to stick with his Minnesota commitment.
With MarQueis Gray back for his senior year, Nelson is a candidate to be redshirted. But that's not a guarantee.
"I want them to come in and think they're going to play," Kill said.
Nelson, in a recent video interview for the Gophers athletics website, said he's sensed an excitement around the state about the local players who picked the university.
"I just want to be a part of the team and be a part of the turnaround," Nelson said.
Minnesota can't be a Big Ten championship contender without players from the warm-weather football factories in Florida and Texas, but for the Gophers to rebuild their struggling program, they must solidify their area recruiting base. Several in-state prospects over the last decade have picked such schools as Iowa, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford and Wisconsin over Minnesota. There's also a local pride that can be better developed, encouraging interest and loyalty from younger generations if their peers and friends pick the Gophers and become key players in a revival.
Only two Minnesota prep stars signed this year with other schools in the six major conferences, none in the Big Ten. Eden Prairie offensive tackle Nick Davidson selected Stanford, but the son of Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson played just one year in the state. Osseo tight end Will Johnson chose West Virginia.
But Hopkins wide receiver Andre McDonald, who had a previous verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, decided to stay home. Blue Earth offensive tackle Jonah Pirsig, a 6-foot-9, 295-pounder, had his mind made up. Lakeville South quarterback Mitch Leidner was also wooed by Iowa, but he didn't waver.
"They truly want to be here. They truly want to make a difference. That's a neat thing," Kill said.
Nelson and Leidner wanted to be Gophers badly enough they weren't turned off by another highly-touted recruit coming in at the same position.
"Don't worry about. Competition is good. It will all work out in the long run," Kill said.
Every coach in the nation crows each year about the new players coming in. There's a genuine relief and excitement in the air once the binding forms are faxed in and the whirlwind months of crisscrossing the country to sell teenagers on the school are over. Hyperbole-prone former coach Tim Brewster was as enthusiastic on signing day as he was all year.
The national recruiting analysts — surely an inexact science and sometimes biased — help bring some levity. The Gophers didn't fare well there, despite their in-state success. Both Scout.com and Rivals.com ranked the Gophers last in the Big Ten this year, with an average of 2.33 and 2.71 stars out of five, respectively. None of their signings were in Scout's top 300 or Rivals' top 250.
Kill didn't try to spin this, knowing he's in charge of a team coming off consecutive 3-9 finishes.
"Notre Dame recruits to Notre Dame. Butler basketball recruits to Butler. Minnesota has got to recruit to Minnesota," Kill said. "I feel good about this group and where we need to go to compete at the level that we need to compete at in the Big Ten."
Speed was a high priority. Another Minnesotan, Isaac Fruechte, from Caledonia High School via Rochester Community and Technical College, will be a sophomore this season as one of six junior college transfers in this class. He'll join McDonald, Jamel Harbison (Charlotte, N.C.) and KJ Maye (Mobile, Ala.) in a fast group of first-year wide receivers.
"The great thing about Andre, when I sat at his house, there was no question this is what he wanted to do at the end of the day," Kill said. "He figured out this was what was best for him, and that was good."
McDonald's arrival is arguably Kill's best get of the year, considering the persuasion he and his assistants used. McDonald's coach at Hopkins, John DenHartog, praised the Gophers for their approach.
"That's the most passionate staff I've ever been around," DenHartog said. "It's also a group of men who come to the kids honestly and give them the facts and the advantages of what things they can do. They don't try to sell a dream that's not realistic. I appreciate that, and I think the kids appreciate that, too."
-- Dave Campbell
Nebraska heavy on LBs and DLs in 17-man class
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska emphasized defense in its 2012 football recruiting class, with 11 of the 17 players signed Wednesday expected to start their careers on that side of the ball. The Cornhuskers' class was ranked as high as 24th nationally by Rivals.com and as low as 48th by Scout.com.
"Ask me in a couple years how I feel about it," coach Bo Pelini said, "but right now I feel like we made our football team better."
The Huskers landed six four-star recruits, as judged by Rivals. Among them is Zaire Anderson out of Riverside (Calif.) Community College, one of four linebackers who signed.
Anderson appears to be the playmaker the Huskers are looking for to replace record-setting tackler Lavonte David. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Anderson finished last season with 95 tackles in 11 games, including 12 tackles and 3 ½ sacks in his last one.
Pelini said Anderson, like any junior college transfer, has potential to be a major contributor.
"How quickly? We'll find out," Pelini said. "On the surface we like what he brings to the table."
Nebraska also got a signature from standout linebacker Michael Rose out of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo. The 6-foot, 230-pound Rose is ranked among the top five players in Missouri by Rivals and 247 Sports and among the top 150 overall prospects nationally by ESPN.
"We felt the linebacker position was one where we needed to get more depth and numbers," Pelini said. "The bottom line is because of the new conference (Big Ten) and how we were recruiting there for a few years when we were playing in the Big 12 against all the spread-out teams. We felt good about what we accomplished at linebacker position."
Four-star defensive end Greg McMullen out of Hoban High in Akron, Ohio, is the highest rated of the four defensive lineman in the class. McMullen was a four-year starter who totaled 40 sacks in his career.
The Huskers appeared to have filled some needs in a secondary that loses Alfonzo Dennard and safety Austin Cassidy. They picked up two four-star defensive backs, Mohammed Seisay out of Eastern Arizona Junior College and Alonzo Moore of Winnfield, La.
Nebraska lists Moore and LeRoy Alexander as "athletes," but Pelini said both would start their careers in the secondary.
The offense signed two four-star players in receiver Jordan Westerkamp, from Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Ill., and offensive lineman Paul Thurston out of West High School in Arvada, Colo.
Westerkamp is a sure-handed receiver who is deceivingly fast, according to Rivals Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt. He is the all-time leading receiver in Illinois preps history, with 235 catches for 4,618 yards and 68 touchdowns. In his last game, the Class 5A state final, he had 12 catches for 353 yards and five TDs.
The addition of the 6-5, 275-pound Thurston cushions the blow of losing five-star offensive tackle prospect Andrus Peat to Stanford.
Thurston is a consensus top-20 offensive tackle who turned down offers from Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon.
Nebraska signed one quarterback, the 6-2, 210-pound Tommy Armstrong of Cibolo Steele High School in Cibolo, Texas. He ran for almost 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns and threw for 1,900 yards and 29 TDs as a senior.
"I think he's everything we thought we'd get," Pelini said. "We thought he was good when we offered him, but we grew to like him even more. The more we were around him and got to know him and watch him play through his senior year, the more excited I got."
Pelini cautioned fans that even the highest-rated recruits still have a lot of work to do before they become contributors on a college team.
"In this day and age, when ESPN and the rest of the media outlets are making these guys have these signing-day press conferences like these guys are ready to walk in and be named All-Pro, that's rarely the case," he said. "Some guys are more mature, more ready to step in and help than others. There aren't a lot of them able to do that. Over time is where you really see what a guy is able to do and how deep a class is."
-- Eric Olson
Northwestern adds 21 recruits to go with transfer
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The 21-player signing class announced Wednesday by Northwestern is heavy on offensive linemen and defensive backs as the Wildcats try to bounce back from a 6-7 season
The class, the largest in coach Pat Fitzgerald's six seasons at Northwestern, includes four offensive lineman and four defensive backs as well as three linebackers. The Wildcats also are adding a high-profile transfer in former USC receiver Kyle Prater, who is from suburban Chicago.
"There are some tremendous young men from great families and great high school programs who, we believe, fit all our needs and will help us take the next step in becoming a championship program," Fitzgerald said.
The recruiting service Scout.com rates Northwestern's signing class 45th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten.
The signing class includes 6-5, 270-pound offensive tackle Adam DePietro of Lancaster, Pa., and 6-3, 217-pound outside linebacker Ifeadi Odenigbo of Centerville, Ohio. Odenigbo in particular will be looked to for big contributions. His strength is the pass rush, an area where Northwestern struggled in 2011. The Wildcats were last in the Big Ten with 17 sacks.
The class was light on the offensive skill positions, with no quarterbacks, two running backs (6-0, 205-pound Malin Jones of Naperville, Ill., and 6-0, 178-pound Stephen Buckley from Forney, Texas) and two wide receivers (6-3, 185-pound Mike McHugh from Kirkwood, Mo., and 6-2, 200-pound Andrew Scanlan of Royersford, Pa.).
Prater was highly recruited from Proviso West High School in Hillside, Ill., but played sparingly last season as a redshirt freshman at USC as he struggled with injuries. He announced last weekend that he'll move to Northwestern.
The Wildcats finished last season 3-5 in the conference, fifth in the six-team Big Ten Legends Division. After a 6-6 regular season, Northwestern lost 33-22 to Texas A&M in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Meyer closes deal on 25 recruits in top-five class
COLUMBUS (AP) — When opposing recruiters brought up Ohio State's bowl ban and other problems, new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer fought back.
"It was a two-week assault," Meyer said after signing 25 players in what many experts have termed a class that is top-5 in the country. "But instead of waiting for that to come, we went after it. We were extremely pro-active."
Despite a 2012 bowl ban, NCAA probation and recruiting limitations, the forced resignation of Jim Tressel and the most losses (seven) for the Buckeyes since 1897, Meyer's first recruiting class was an unqualified success.
The headline-grabbing position was the defensive line, particularly end, where the Buckeyes locked up Adolphus Washington (6-foot-4, 230 pounds from Cincinnati), Noah Spence (6-4, 245 out of Harrisburg, Pa.) and Se'von Pittman (6-4, 260 from McKinley High in Canton, Ohio).
"I call them the prize of the recruiting class," said Meyer, who won two national championships in six seasons at Florida before working last year for ESPN while sorting through health concerns.
Spence ended up in Columbus despite verbally committing to Penn State — one of four Ohio State recruits who switched allegiance from the Nittany Lions — while Pittman initially indicated he would go to Michigan State. Two others started out by committing to Notre Dame and another to Wisconsin, yet all ended up teammates under Meyer.
"It's always going to start up front," said Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and last year's interim coach. "If you're going to start a class, it's up front, whether it's on the offensive or defensive line. The excitement starts there."
Those three signings got the attention of national recruiting observers.
"As with any class at this level, there is a lot to be excited about, but the defensive line stands out as being special," said Scott Kennedy, director of scouting and recruiting for Scout.com.
Meyer also grabbed top running back prospect Bri'onte Dunn and big offensive linemen Taylor Decker (6-8, 315) and Kyle Dodson (6-6, 310).
The Buckeyes didn't get everybody they wanted, however. The player considered by some as the best in the state, offensive lineman Kyle Kalis of Lakewood St. Edward, withdrew his original commitment to Ohio State during the middle of the school's NCAA problems and decided on rival Michigan. On Wednesday, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke called Kalis "a road grader."
In addition, Ohio State only signed one quarterback — former Cleveland Glenville signal-caller Cardale Jones, who spent last year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. The new coaching staff will have just four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for the 2012 season, although one is Braxton Miller who started almost all of the 2011 season that finished 6-7.
Still, it was a surprising bumper crop, particularly since the recruiting class ranked somewhere between 15 and 25 in the nation in most publications' evaluations before Meyer was hired on Nov. 29.
Ohio State is serving three years of NCAA-mandated probation for failing to monitor Tressel, who played ineligible players during the 2010 season who had taken cash and discounted tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking probe. As part of their NCAA penalties, the Buckeyes were docked three football scholarships each of the next three years.
The 25 signees put the Buckeyes at 81, according to Meyer. Six of the players who signed Wednesday count against last year's recruit total, plus Meyer hinted that other players may have dropped out, transferred or will not play due to medical reasons.
Many people who follow recruiting closely were stunned by Ohio State's success.
"It's been an amazing performance by Urban Meyer who has re-emphasized his ability to attract elite, national championship-caliber talent," said Allen Wallace, national editor for SuperPrep.com. "This class is strong across the board and from (my) perspective, the best Buckeye recruiting effort in the last 10 years."
Meyer repeatedly tried to rein in some of the hype about the incoming class and his role in bringing it in.
"I keep hearing this is a top 5, top 3, top 10 class," he said. "That doesn't' mean much to me. What really matters is what happens two, three years from now."
Ohio State handed out only four-year scholarships as part of a Big Ten initiative to meet terms of the new four-year rule (as opposed to the previous standard one-year agreement) established recently by the NCAA.
Kennedy expressed surprise at how big a year Meyer and Ohio State had.
"I've had to add an exception to the rule that it takes a full year for a new coach to make an impact," he said. "Urban Meyer's impact at Ohio State this quickly has been unprecedented."
-- Rusty Miller
O'Brien lauds recruits sticking with Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — New Penn State coach Bill O'Brien gave credit to the recruits who stuck with their verbal commitments to the Nittany Lions.
It would have been easy for them to join the roughly half-dozen prospects that left for other schools in light of the upheaval surrounding the football program since November.
Instead, just more than half of Penn State's 19-member recruiting class is comprised of holdovers who initially committed to O'Brien's predecessor, the late Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno — a foundation that O'Brien said allowed the new regime to target fresh prospects who were the "right fit" for Happy Valley.
"That was a real testament to their mental toughness and their ability to stick it out," O'Brien said in a conference call Wednesday with reporters. "I give them all the credit in the world. I can't wait to start coaching and working with them."
As of Wednesday night, recruiting services had Penn State's 2012 class ranked anywhere from 39th to 50th in the country and middle of the pack in the Big Ten.
Most of the class won't get to campus until June. Even O'Brien isn't at Penn State full time yet either, having to split loyalties while he finishes up his other job as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
O'Brien was hired Jan. 6. He plans to settle full-time in State College starting Tuesday, whether or not the Patriots beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Until then, he hasn't been able to devote his full attention to Penn State — which is why O'Brien heaped praise on his assistants for taking the lead on piecing together the recruiting class. In particular, O'Brien singled out defensive line coach Larry Johnson, a top-notch recruiter and returnee from Paterno's staff.
"It was a very seamless transition," O'Brien said.
But they had to recruit under conditions unlike any other program in the country.
The arrest of retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on Nov. 5 on dozens of child sex abuse charges set in motion a scandal that led to university trustees ousting Paterno four days later. The NCAA and Big Ten are also looking into how the school handled the allegations.
Awaiting trial, Sandusky is out on bail after denying the allegations. Paterno was a witness before a state grand jury investigating Sandusky, and authorities said he was not a target of the probe.
More than a week after his dismissal, Paterno's family announced the coach was fighting lung cancer. He died Jan. 22.
Since then, O'Brien and his staff have stressed they will build on the "traditions of academics and athletics" stressed by Paterno in starting a new era at Penn State.
"Penn State is Penn State. It stands for excellence on and off the field, and our deal is whatever unfortunate situation or incidents that happened — we can't do anything about that, but to build on the foundation ... that Coach Paterno and his staff built," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said.
"And also about moving forward. Just focused a lot on moving forward and going from this point forward, and not really backing up."
Sean Fitz, the editor of the website Lions247, which follows recruiting, said six recruits took back their verbal commitments. Of those, four were top prospects who jumped to Big Ten nemesis Ohio State and star coach Urban Meyer — defections that dented a class once ranked in the Top 10 or 15 last fall.
But Anthony Stanko, an offensive lineman from Howland, Ohio, is a recruit who stayed. He initially committed to Penn State last March.
Stanko said O'Brien made a big impression on him over his message about family and work ethic. The current players don't have any direct connection to Sandusky or related off-field issues, Stanko said.
"I never really swayed away from Penn State. I've always stuck with it because I knew it really didn't affect Penn State, at least the kids that are there now," he said in a phone interview. "When I went (on a visit), no one talked about it much. When I visited, I was able to rest easy knowing it wasn't a big impact on the players right now."
It would be naive to suggest the Sandusky case didn't impact the quality overall of the recruiting class, said Mark Brennan, editor of FightOnState.com, which also covers Penn State recruiting.
"But given everything that's happened, they couldn't have done much better," Brennan said. "If you would have told me that in early November, I wouldn't have thought that was going to happen."
Brennan, Fitz and other analysts have said receiver Eugene Lewis, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is one of the top recruits, and someone who could potentially contribute right away if O'Brien follows through on his plans to revamp the Penn State offense in the mold of the Patriots' potent attack.
Penn State also filled a position of need by signing running back Akeel Lynch, who is from Toronto but played high school in western New York. The Nittany Lions currently have just two scholarship tailbacks in Silas Redd and Curtis Dukes.
O'Brien lost out on quarterback Skyler Mornhinweig, the son of Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. He took back his verbal commitment, in favor of Florida.
But O'Brien and his staff, who have recruiting connections in the South from O'Brien's previous coaching stop at Georgia Tech and Duke, did sign a quarterback in Steven Bench from Bainbridge, Ga. The son of a high school coach, Bench ran mainly an option system until switching schools his senior year and doing well in a pro-style offense.
Penn State's profile of Bench lists him as having a 3.86 grade-point average while being a "smart player with quick decision-making" — just the type of qualities that O'Brien is looking for in a quarterback.
Bench said he and his family spoke to other coaches they knew in the South to get a sense of whether the NCAA could potentially sanction Penn State over the Sandusky scandal. "From what I've gotten, it's not looking that way," Bench said in a phone interview.
Bench said he made a tough decision to decommit from Rice before accepting Penn State's offer last week. He cited the ability to get a good education as well as play Big Ten football.
''The fact that my future coach is going to coach the best player in the Super Bowl, (quarterback) Tom Brady, next week, is amazing to me," Bench said.
-- Genaro C. Armas
Purdue signs 23, Indiana 25
Purdue announced a 23-player signing class on Wednesday's national signing day.
Purdue signed 13 offensive players, including three quarterbacks and six offensive linemen. They'll join two early enrollees in coach Danny Hope's fourth recruiting class.
Quarterback Bilal Marshall of Miami will join the Boilermakers along with quarterbacks Aloyis Gray of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Austin Appleby of North Canton, Ohio.
Indiana signed 25 players, including two quarterbacks, to Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson's second class at the school.
Cameron Coffman of Peculiar, Mo., and Nathan Sudfeld of Modesto, Calif., will join the Hoosiers at quarterback.
Kill had his wife on recruiting trips just in case
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Jerry Kill had a special assistant with him on some of his recruiting visits. Kill said Wednesday that his wife, Rebecca, accompanied him on the road because of his history of seizures. They had special clearance from the NCAA to go together to players' homes.
Kill suffered a severe seizure on the sideline near the end of Minnesota's game against New Mexico State last September. He says his wife "knows what to do" and can "take care of it" if he has another episode, so he can "go right back into recruiting" as soon possible.
Kill also joked that he and his wife "need some space" from each other after spending so much time together traveling.
