ESPN College Football Recruiting

The state of Illinois' 2009 class has its highest number of ESPNU 150 prospects since the rankings started. Currently, the state boasts five ESPNU 150 players, including Under Armour All-American Terry Hawthorne (East Saint Louis, Ill.), and several prospects beyond the 150 who rank in the top 40 at their position.

Two of the top five players in the state are uncommitted, including the state's top prospect. Notre Dame has always done well in Illinois, especially Chicago. This year it has a commitment from Chris Watt (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), one of the nation's top guards. Wisconsin, Big Ten rival of Illinois and Northwestern, has invaded the state to land quarterback Jon Budmayr (Woodstock, Ill./Marian Central Catholic), Illinois' fifth-rated prospect.

Craig Drummond, defensive end
Morgan Park High School (Chicago)
Considering: Illinois, Miami, Wisconsin and Tennessee, among others

For the third consecutive year, a defensive end tops the rankings for the state; Martez Wilson was No. 1 in 2007, Darius Fleming was No. 1 in 2008. Wilson was more of an OLB/DE 'tweener, and Fleming will likely play as an outside linebacker in Notre Dame's defensive scheme, but Drummond is a defensive end all the way.

The big young man fits the mold of a strong-side end, at about 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds with a good wingspan. He is fairly athletic with good speed and can be a solid pass rusher, but his best upside is as a run defender. He uses his reach to separate from blockers and is tough at the point of attack. He may not have the raw athletic skills like Wilson, but Drummond can make it tough to run his way.

With national signing day creeping closer, it looks like the menacing defensive end is going to take his time. He, not surprisingly, has a host of offers, and is still looking at candidates for his list of finalists.

John Brewer, defensive end
Lake Zurich High School
Considering: Illinois, Northwestern, Northern Illinois and Purdue, among others

Brewer hasn't been talked about very much, and according to his coach Bryan Stortz he has even put his recruitment on hold until after the season. He currently holds no offers, but did receive interest from Big Ten and Big 12 programs and Notre Dame during the spring. But things have cooled for Brewer since putting recruiting on the back burner.

Once the DE/DT 'tweener opens things back up again, some programs will likely regain interest. But it's tough to say where he will fit best. Stortz feels that's the question: Is Brewer fast enough to be a college defensive end, or can the 6-3, 240-pound lineman add enough bulk to move inside to tackle? Stortz thinks Brewer can add the weight.

He moves around the defensive line and displays good versatility. Stortz points out Brewer's real strengths are his explosiveness off the ball, something we noticed on film, and his quickness to the ball.

Brewer likely will not have a windfall of scholarship offers to pick from, especially considering his approach, but we feel he could be a nice steal for someone. We love his motor and effort -- he comes across simply as a football player. He needs to keep developing his skills, but his play-hard approach combined with some good ability could allow him to develop into a productive defender in college.

Illinois, 13 commits (Sept. 12)
The Fighting Illini are coming off a big season where they went 9-4 and made an appearance in the Rose Bowl. All that came on the heels of an excellent recruiting class that featured key players like wide receiver Arrelious Benn.

Ron Zook is trying to build on that success. His 2008 class was strong, but not as impressive as 2007's was. Now, five months away from national signing day 2009, Illinois is trying to fulfill its needs and bring in a class that can keep it heading in the right direction.

It currently has 13 prospects, led by lone ESPNU 150 prospect Terry Hawthorne. With Isiah "Juice" Williams a junior, it has added some youth at quarterback with Nathan Scheelhaase (Kansas City/Rockhurst). Big-bodied, 330-pound DT Lendell Buckner (Chicago/Leo) is also on board, and we expect Illinois to add some inside linebacker candidates to the defensive haul as the season progresses.

Northwestern, 6 commits (Sept. 12)
The 2-0 Wildcats have a small class, with three of their six commits from in-state. Quarterback Evan Watkins (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) leads the way as a top-30 prospect at the position. Running back depth, an area of need, seems solved with commit Mike Trumpy (Wheaton, Ill./North).

Northern Illinois, 6 commits (Sept. 12)
Jerry Kill, who had success as a head coach at the FCS level, is working on his first class with the Huskies. Of their six known commitments, two are quarterbacks and two are defensive tackles.

Nazareth-La Grange Park (2-0) at Joliet Catholic (0-2), Friday, 8:30 p.m.:
Funny what a difference a season makes. Last year Joliet Catholic went 7-0 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, outscored conference opponents 351-59 and won the Class 6A state championship (the program's state-best 13th overall). Now the Hilltoppers -- with losses to Mount Carmel and Wheaton South --- are staring at 0-3, with fast-rising Nazareth invading Joliet Memorial Stadium.

Running back LaSteven McKinney paces Nazareth's offense, which lit up Riverside-Brookfield 69-21 last week. McKinney ran for 196 yards and five touchdowns on 12 carries as Nazareth scored the game's final 42 points. -- Christopher Lawlor

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