ESPN College Football Recruiting

After a miserable 1-11 first season, Tim Brewster has compiled one of the surprise recruiting classes heading into signing day with good top-half quality and prospects from 11 states outside of Minnesota. Spartans fans can be excited about some of the young athletes Mark Dantonio currently has committed in his first true class at Michigan State, but Northwestern fans will most likely see a recruiting class that finishes near the bottom of the conference recruiting rankings. Look for Under Armour All-American Darius Willis (Indianapolis/Franklin Central) to bolster Indiana's running game and in-state recruiting in 2009. In part two, the final five teams from 2007:

Schools in order of 2007 finish

Signing Day Storylines: Very quietly Purdue has established a successful football program under head coach Joe Tiller. The Boilermaker head coach has led his team to bowl games in 10 of his 11 years including a Rose Bowl appearance in 2000. He has a winning record and has done a good job of finding and grooming talented quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter. Overall Tiller and his staffs have not been major players on the recruiting trail stringing together top-10 or even top-25 classes, but they have had an eye for talent and fitting their needs.

It looks like this will be Tiller's last true class as he is ready to step down at the end of the 2008 season. Purdue has been consistent but has failed to rise as a serious threat for the Big Ten title and crack the inner circle of dominant teams that Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State have formed.

A former Tiller assistant Danny Hope will take over when Tiller leaves and likely will not change much from a scheme standpoint, but it will be interesting to see if his new blood can bolster Purdue's recruiting and help them rise to Big Ten contention.

Under Tiller the Boilermakers have been unable to land an ESPN 150 prospect and likely will not by signing day this year either. Purdue has recruited and coached well enough to win in the Tiller era, but the question for Purdue fans is, can Hope elevate Purdue to the next level as a recruiter and coach?

Top Prospect: Purdue's top-rated prospect is an import from SEC country. Jerico Nelson (Destrehan, La.), the nation's No. 21-rated athlete, is a nice pick-up for the Boilermakers. The only real drawback for Purdue here is trying to figure out where to play him. He is a speedy and elusive runner who can be a home-run threat on offense as a running back. He also has very good hands and can be a threat in the passing game. Considering Purdue's spread scheme and need for a consistent playmaker at running back (it ranked 89th in rushing offense in 2007), it is likely Nelson could end up on offense. The problem is the defensive coaches may get jealous and want him on that side of the ball. He has fluid hips and could develop into a very good cover corner. He should also be an asset as a return man. The bottom line is that the Purdue coaches will find a place to play Nelson and his career could include some shifting around and even double duty.

Class Highlights: If Nelson ends up on defense or even as a receiver, Purdue does have another fine running back prospect pledged in Ralph Bolden (Folkston, Ga./Charlton). Bolden is a shifty running back with excellent top-end speed and overall open-field running skills. He needs to add bulk but is fast, tough, difficult to tackle and has big-play flair. His presence could allow Nelson to utilize his abilities on defense.

One of the best pickups for Purdue is actually a kicker. Under Armour All-American Carson Wiggs (Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie) could handle placekicking and punting but will likely be a punter at the college level.

The offense is losing two productive receivers as Dorien Bryant was a senior and Selwyn Lymon was dismissed from the team. The Boilermakers have two verbal commitments from prep receivers led by Roy Roundtree (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) and two junior college transfers; Aaron Valentin (Freeport, N.Y./Erie C.C.) is already signed. The offense is also losing productive tight end Dustin Keller and will add Jordan Brewer (Carmel, Ind.). Like Keller, Brewer as a tight end could be an asset as a big, athletic receiver. The Boilermakers are set to sign a big class this year and will likely find some early contributors in the group.

Could See the Field in 2008: ATH Nelson, P Wiggs, RB Bolden, CB Kevin Green (Tallahassee, Fla./James S. Rickards), JUCO WR Valentin.

Signing Day Storylines: For the first time in a long time (14 years to be exact) the Hoosiers get to finish a recruiting class on the heels of a bowl appearance. Despite the unfortunate death of head coach Terry Hoeppner, there is reason to be happy and excited about football in Bloomington, Indiana again. The Hoosiers rode the wave of emotion spurned by the passing of their leader to a bowl game, and while they lost to Oklahoma State, they did end one of the longest bowl droughts among BCS teams. They finished above .500, have a new head coach in Bill Lynch who justifiably had the interim tag removed from him after doing a very nice job in the aftermath of Hoeppner's passing and have some legitimate talent.

Indiana will need to replace the big, productive James Hardy, but players like quarterback Kellen Lewis and defensive end Greg Middleton give hope that 2007 was just not a fluke.

Top Prospect: The Hoosiers get to boost with Under Armour All-American Darius Willis (Indianapolis/Franklin Central). The Indiana native showed up in Orlando and proved among the better running backs in this class. He is a big back who combines a nice blend of size, speed and power as a runner. He can be tough to tackle and can gain yards after contact. He has good straight-line speed but is not overly elusive or shifty. While there are some drawbacks to Willis' game, he is still growing into his frame and developing. He has good upside and presents a change of pace to what Indiana has now in their stable of backs. The class 5-A first team all-state player rushed for 1,728 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior and is a fine addition for the Hoosiers' offense.

It is big landing an in-state talent like Willis, and it also seems like Willis is excited to be a Hoosier. Every time a family member of his was spotted around the Disney property, they were decked out in Hoosier gear and Indiana needs that. They need for a well-regarded prospect to commit and show that Indiana can be a possible destination for top prospects, and Willis could start to slowly open the eyes of other recruits.

Class Highlights: The Hoosiers will find it tough to replace the departed Hardy but have made strides to keep the wide receiver position a positive. They will bring back Ray Fisher and Andrew Means and will also bring into the mix highly-graded Tandon Doss (Indianapolis/Ben Davis). Doss is another fine Indiana prospect the Hoosiers were able to keep close to home, and he is an aggressive, speedy player with nice size and good strength. He is tough, fast and can make acrobatic grabs. Hardy was a very good, but Doss could develop into that type of receiving target for Indiana in time. They also added another pair of solid receiver prospects in Tyler Adetona (Gainesville, Ga.) and Marquelo Suel (Fort Wayne, Ind./Harding).

Led by Middleton the Hoosiers finished in the top 10 nationally in sacks and are brining in more pass-rushing help in rangy postgrad prospect Kyle Kozak (Pickerton, Ohio/Hargrave Military).

The Hoosiers struggled some to defend the pass in 2007 and have not done much to address that with the 2008 class. They did dip into Florida though to land safety Peter St. Fort (Naples, Fla./Golden Gate), a potential sleeper in this class among the safeties. In an effort to improve the offensive line Indiana has five verbal commitments from linemen, led by No. 37 ranked guard Justin Pagan (Chicago/Saint Patrick).

Could See the Field in 2008: RB Willis, WR Doss, DE Kozak, S St. Fort (on special teams).

Signing Day Storylines: With one full year under his belt head coach Mark Dantonio is looking to sign his first true class at Michigan State come February 6th. For the first time in a while Michigan State heads into signing day with a little positive momentum. Yes it lost its bowl game to Boston College, but it was a small victory getting to a bowl after a three-year absence.

Also Dantonio was able to avoid yet another late season Michigan State collapse. The Spartans tried hard to fall apart again, losing three straight games in the second half of the season, but Dantonio was able to steer his Spartans to two wins over the final two weeks and into the Champs Sports Bowl.

Much work is still needed in East Lansing, but at least the new coach can sell some shown improvement and continue to preach the Spartans are headed for brighter days. His current class does not compare to in-state rivals Michigan or with Big Ten power Ohio State but does have some positives. There are also some possible late grabs out there if they can catch some breaks. While both are long shots, cornerback Neiko Lipscomb (Tucker, Ga.) and defensive end Nick Perry (Detroit/Mackenzie) give Spartan fans something to keep an eye on. Also underrated linebacker Steve Gardiner (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin-Coffman ) and defensive tackle Dawan Whitner (Cleveland/Glenville) present some possible interesting late additions.

Top Prospect: The top prospect in the Spartans' class is a not only a good addition, but a needed addition. With the graduation of Terry Love, the defection of Devin Thomas to the NFL and Deon Curry entering his senior year, the Spartans can use some help at wide receiver, which was not a strong position to begin with. That help is coming in the form of in-state Fred Smith (Detroit/Southeastern), a big, physical, strong receiver. He is able to combine his size with good speed and could be a matchup problem in the red-zone. He needs to become better at the technique of the position like running better routes and being quicker out of his breaks, but he has the potential to develop into a big-play receiver. The Spartans have had some good receivers come through East Lansing in the past and Smith has the tools to be another good one for the green and white.

Class Highlights: The Spartans have verbal commitments from a trio of talented athlete prospects. All three could play on offense or defense. Charles Burrell (Detroit/Southeastern) and Johnny Adams (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel) could both help fill needs at wide receiver. With some youth needed at safety though, we would not be surprised to see Burrell, a teammate of Smith's, moved there. The third athlete of the group is Glenn Winston (Detroit/Denby), a physical player on defense and a slashing, power running back on offense. All three give the Spartan coaches some good options.

Michigan State had a good ground attack in 2007, but Jehuu Caulcrick was a senior and Javon Ringer is heading into his senior year. The time to start looking for future Spartan backs is now, and they have added one in Caulton Ray (Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice). Ray is a thickly-built runner with good vision and balance. The incoming freshman may remind Spartan fans some of their current star running back Ringer.

Again, youth is needed at safety, and while Burrell could be an option, they have also landed top-50 safety Brynden Trawick (Marietta, Ga./Sprayberry). He is a good-sized, physical player who could develop into an outside linebacker.

This Michigan State class is heavy with in-state prospects as 12 commitments hail from Michigan. The Spartans have shown an effort to recruit their own turf hard. Another interesting aspect of this class is no junior college additions. Michigan State has relied on the JUCOs in the past, but Dantonio seems to be taking a bigger picture route with his recruiting and working to build with prep players.

Could See the Field in 2008: WR Smith, athlete prospects Burrell, Adams and Winston.

Signing Day Storylines: Former hard-hitting Northwestern linebacker and current head coach Pat Fitzgerald is still trying to mold the Wildcats and get them back to a bowl game. Despite a six-win season, the Wildcats failed to make a bowl game again in his second year at the helm. With the continued success of programs like Ohio State and Michigan as well as the emergence of programs like Wisconsin, Illinois and even Indiana, the competition in the Big Ten is becoming very tight. The battle for talent is fierce as the Wildcats have to deal with tough academic restrictions and emerging recruiting machine Illinois.

Much like their season, the Wildcats will very likely finish near the bottom in the conference recruiting rankings. That being said, they have gone out and filled some needs and Northwestern fans still have some good talent to root for here down the stretch to national signing day. A physical linebacker in the mold of the Wildcats head coach is still on their radar. Steve Gardiner, an underrated player out of Ohio, is a possibility as is tight end Quentin Williams (Pittsburgh/Central Catholic). The Wildcats will need to really battle Stanford among some other schools but have a good shot as Williams' older brother Nate is on the Northwestern roster.

Top Prospect: A big man tops the list of Northwestern's commits -- and I mean that figuratively and literally. Offensive tackle Neal Deiters (Elmhurst, Ill./York) is listed at 6-foot-9 and close to 350 pounds. Even if he is a little smaller than his listed measurables, that is still one big boy. While at times prospects with his freakish size can be more of a novelty than a legitimate player, Deiters does have some upside and could be an anchor at the right tackle position with some work. In the run game he can clear lanes, and when he gets into a defender he can almost pick them up like a forklift and move them out. He will need to improve as a pass blocker and learn to bend more at the knees and coordinate his massive frame. Deiters may not be a quick fix for an offensive line needing help, but he has promise and could develop into a very nice pickup for the Wildcats.

Class Highlights: The offensive line was an area of concentration and rightfully so. Four of the Wildcats top-five commits are offensive linemen, and this is a good thing. They may not be as glamorous for fans to discuss as quarterbacks or wide receivers, but with a line that featured several seniors in 2007 and ranked 97th in rushing offense and sacks allowed, these additions are good. In addition to big Deiters, they also have verbal commitments from in-state linemen Jeff Radek (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley), Brian Mulroe (Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy) and Nick Adamle (Wheaton, Ill./North). All three may need some work, but they all also play hard and will bring a blue-collar, nasty attitude to Northwestern's offensive trenches. They also have a fourth commitment from a lineman in offensive tackle Chuck Porcelli (Lombard, Ill./Montini). Porcelli at about 6-foot-8 can search with Deiters for suitable clothes and beds to fit in.

Also a position of need, three safety prospects led by Hunter Bates out of Tim Tebow's alma mater Nease in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. are set to sign.

Could See the Field in 2008: Any of the linemen may be thrust into action; Radek or Mulroe may be the most ready. With help needed in both run and pass defense several defensive prospects may be called on to contribute early.

Signing Day Storylines: Signing day is a big day for Gopher fans. After a miserable 1-11 first season, head coach Tim Brewster gets to unveil his first real class. Lauded for his recruiting abilities, he has worked hard to not disappoint, planting roots in Minnesota and going nationwide looking for talent. Minnesota has landed at least one verbal from prep prospects in 11 states outside of Minnesota, spanning from California to Florida. Brewster and his staff have shown a work-hard attitude recruiting the nation as they try to right the Gopher ship.

While strides were made to assemble a good class, Minnesota did miss out on some of the top in-state prep prospects, and this will be an area that needs to improve moving forward. The Gophers did land five in-state verbal commitments in their current class of 21. A possible addition is Under Armour All-American Keanon Cooper (Dallas/Skyline), an athletic defender who could help a poor Gopher defense.

Top Prospect: For the second straight year it looks like Minnesota's No. 1 prospect will be a quarterback. Last year it was Brewster's son Clint, the No. 8 rated quarterback, and this year it is MarQueis Gray (Indianapolis/Ben Davis), the No. 13 rated signal caller. With freshman Adam Weber taking snaps in 2007, Minnesota must be applying the thought that competition is good and you have never have enough talented quarterbacks.

Gray will make for interesting quarterback battles as he has good tools and size. He is a good athlete but is a pocket passer first. He has solid arm strength and flashes good touch. He is also athletic enough to tuck and run and create when plays break down. He still needs to develop his game and improve his mechanics but has good upside. With Weber and Brewster on campus, Minnesota can likely bring Gray along.

Class Highlights: This will be a big class currently with the 21 prep commits and seven JUCO additions in addition to Notre Dame transfer offensive guard Matt Carufel. Four junior college prospects already signed may be able to help right away, especially on defense.

On the prep front, Jewhan Edwards (Philadelphia/Roman Catholic) heads a pair of defensive tackle pledges ready to help a run defense that ranked 114th. Edwards, a big and explosive interior defender, could be a steal if he can take care of the little things on and off the field. The defense also has a verbal from No. 22-ranked inside linebacker Sam Maresh (Champion Park, Minn.), an in-state product. Maresh physically looks ready to play and could also help a porous run defense.

Two outside linebackers -- Spencer Reeves (Dallas/Skyline), a high school teammate of Gopher target Keanon Cooper and Florida native Gary Tinsley (Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast) -- should help. Tinsley could also be used as a rush end and help the Gophers get pressure on the quarterback after ranking 116th nationally in sacks. Minnesota's defensive woes also spread to coverage as they ranked 115th in pass defense and 116th in pass efficiency defense. With that in mind, it has have targeted secondary help. Another Dallas Skyline addition is the athletic Troy Stoudermire, who could play wide receiver or corner, but his talents may be better used on defense. Another solid corner pick-up is Jonathan Dandridge (Detroit/Highland Park).

On offense, WR Brandon Green (Chicago/Paul Robeson) is a speedy, reliable target with good athleticism.

Could See the Field in 2008: Any of the JUCO additions (especially those already on campus), WR Green, DT Edwards, LB Maresh and several others as there are holes to fill, especially on defense.

Craig Haubert is recruiting coordinator for Scouts Inc. Drop Craig a line in his mailbag.