Signing Day Capsules For Each Big Ten School
The Associated Press
ILLINOIS
National rankings (Rivals 71; Scout 68).
Best in class: Jihad Ward, 6-6 285, dt, Globe Institute of Technology (N.Y.)
Best of the rest: Malik Turner, 6-3 205, wr, Springfield (Ill.) Sacred Heart-Griffin
Late addition: Chris James, 5-11 185, db, Orange-Stark (Texas) High School
One that got away: Tyree Stone-Davis, CB, Pierce College (Calif.).
NOTE: The best player Illinois will add may not be among the signings. Quarterback Wes Lunt sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma State.
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INDIANA
National rankings: (Rivals 36; Scout 44).
Best in class: Tim Gardner, ol, Avon, Ind.
Best of the rest: Dominque Booth, wr, Indianapolis; Jordan Fuchs, te, Queens, N.Y.; Greg Gooch, lb, Longwood, Fla.; Robert McCray III, Rockdale, Ga.; Tegray Scales, lb, Cincinnati.
Late addition: McCray, who didn't make his decision until the final hours leading up to signing day.
One that got away: Willie Yarbary, de, Augusta, Ga., decommitted from Indiana and wound up choosing Wake Forest after Indiana changed defensive coordinators.
NOTE: "Physically, he (Gooch) is a Mike linebacker, who can come in and rush off the edge. He'll provide tremendous personality for this defense," new coordinator Brian Knorr said.
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IOWA
National rankings (Rivals 60; Scout 41).
Best in class: Wiegers, Scheel
Best of the rest: Nelson, Keegan Render, OG, Indianola, Iowa
Late addition: Taylor
One that got away: Ross Pierschbacher, OT, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Alabama)
NOTE: Although Iowa signed many of the state's top prospects, Pierschbacher wavered on his oral commitment and wound up with Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. The Hawkeyes also failed to land the state's No. 1 recruit, wide receiver and Iowa State signee Allen Lazard. But Lazard's father and brother played for the Cyclones, and he's been committed to them for years.
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MARYLAND
National Rankings: (Rivals 51; Scout 60).
Best in class: OL Damian Prince, Forestville, Md. Parade All-American picked Maryland over Florida and South Carolina in a nationally televised ceremony at Bishop McNamara High School.
Best of the rest: DE Jesse Aniebonam, Olney, Md.; WR Juwann Winfree, Englewood, N.J. Aniebonam is a highly regarded pass rusher who had 30 scholarship offers from schools in just about every major conference. Winfree was offered as a safety by Georgia but wanted to play offense.
Late addition: LB Nnamdi Egbuaba, Baltimore. Edsall thinks the Terps got a steal in this under-the-radar prospect, who possesses great size and speed along with a high motor.
One that got away: CB Jalen Tabor, Washington, D.C. Five-star cornerback from Friendship Collegiate Academy grew up minutes from the College Park campus and always spoke highly of Maryland, but ultimately signed with Florida.
NOTES: Two of Maryland's top recruits are already enrolled at College Park. Derwin Gray and Larry Mazyck, both of whom graduated from Friendship Collegiate Academy in D.C., spent the 2013 season playing at Fork Union Military Academy and Iowa Western Community College, respectively. Gray and Mazyck, who technically count against the Class of 2013 in terms of how their scholarships are assigned, should contend for immediate playing time.
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MICHIGAN
National rankings (Rivals 31; Scout 27).
Best in class: Jabrill Peppers, DB, Paramus, N.J.
Best of the rest: Drake Harris, WR, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Late addition: Jared Wangler, LB, Warren, Mich.
One that got away: Damon Webb, DB, Detroit.
NOTE: Wangler's father, John, was a quarterback for the Wolverines from 1977-80.
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MICHIGAN STATE
National rankings (Rivals 21; Scout 21).
Best in class: Montae Nicholson, db, Monroeville (Pa.).
Best of the rest: Brian Allen, ol, Hinsdale (Ill.)
Late addition: T.J. Harrell, db, Tampa (Fla.)
One that got away: Darius Slade, de, Montclair, N.J.
NOTE: Slade committed to Michigan State in mid-January but had a late change of heart and signed with Urban Meyer and Ohio State on Wednesday.
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MINNESOTA
National rankings: Rivals 53, Scout 51.
Best in class: Jeff Jones, RB, Minneapolis Washburn HS.
Best of the rest: Isaiah Gentry, WR, Cincinnati Moeller HS; Melvin Holland, WR, Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods HS; Conner Krizancic, WR, Mentor (Ohio) HS; Brandon Lingen, TE, Wayzata (Minn.) HS; Connor Mayes, OL, Van Alstyne (Texas) HS; Gary Moore, DT, Mobile (Ala.) Murphy HS; Dimonic Roden-McKinzy, QB, Kansas City (Kan.) Wyandotte HS; Andrew Stelter, DE, Owatonna (Minn.) HS.
Late additions: Moore reneged on his verbal commitment to Southern Mississippi and Krizancic did the same to Cincinnati.
One that got away: Frank Ragnow, OL, Chanhassen (Minn.) HS. Signed with Arkansas.
NOTE: Julien Kafo, a defensive end from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, has an atypical background as a Canadian prospect. He speaks four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.
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NEBRASKA
National Rankings (Rivals 32; Scout 34).
Best in class: Monte Harrison, WR, Lee's Summit, Mo. He's a dynamic athlete who led his West High team to a state championship. The question is whether he'll show up in Lincoln or turn pro in baseball. A speedy and strong-armed outfielder, he's pegged as a top-50 MLB draft pick.
Best of the rest: Tanner Farmer, OL, Highland, Ill. He made an impressive showing at the Under Armour All-Star Game and is ranked among the best offensive line prospects in the country. He and fellow O-lineman D.J. Foster out of Lincoln will make bids for early playing time.
Late addition: Mikale Wilbon, RB, Chicago. He flipped from Vanderbilt after James Franklin took the Penn State coaching job. He's been injury prone but has the tools to be a great one.
One that got away: Blake McClain, DL, Jacksonville, Fla. He flipped twice down the stretch, de-committing from Florida State, pledging to Nebraska and signing with South Carolina.
NOTE: Nebraska secured verbal commitments from a half-dozen players in the two weeks before signing day, but the strong finish was mitigated by the loss of McClain and three others who went elsewhere.
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NORTHWESTERN
National rankings (Rivals 66; Scout 56).
Best in class: Clayton Thorson, QB, Wheaton, Ill.
Best of the rest: Austin Anderson, RB, Plano, Texas; Garrett Dickerson, TE, Englewood, N.J.; Justin Jackson, RB, Carol Stream, Ill.; Parrker Westphal, CB, Bolingbrook, Ill.
Late addition: Xavier Washington, DE, Cedar Hill, Texas
One that got away: Hamilton Anoa'I, LB, San Mateo, Calif.
NOTE: DL Fred Wyatt of Lawrence, Kan., comes with a connection to Fitzgerald and Northwestern. His father Buddy was the defensive line coach at Northwestern for two years in the late 1990s, and Buddy and Fitzgerald worked under Gary Barnett at Colorado.
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OHIO STATE
National rankings (Rivals 3; Scout 3).
Best in class: Raekwon McMillan, LB, Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County
Best of the rest: Dante Booker, LB, Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary; Johnnie Dixon, WR, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer; Jamarco Jones, OL, Chicago De La Salle
Late addition: Darius Slade, DL, Montclair (N.J.)
One that got away: Malik McDowell, DL, Southfield (Mich.) to Michigan State
NOTE: "We signed 23 players with an emphasis on linebacker, a position where we're going through an overhaul. There are four linebackers we recruited and they have to play four us. Just so everybody knows, there's no redshirting (for them)," Meyer said.
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PENN STATE
National rankings: Rivals 21; Scout 21.
Best in class: Saeed Blacknall, WR, 6-2, 210, Manalapan, N.J.
Best of the rest: De'Andre Thompkins of Swansboro, N.C., and Chris Godwin of Middletown, Del., were two of four wide receivers coach James Franklin recruited to fill void left by Allen Robinson, who left for the NFL draft. . Quarterback Michael O'Connor from Ottawa, Ontario, trained with former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and was one of five of Penn State's 25 signees who began Penn State classes in January. . Franklin also added to his complement of tight ends with Mike Gesicki (6-5, 245) from Manahawkin, N.J.
Late addition: Torrence Brown, a three-star defensive lineman (6-4, 240) from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who de-committed from Southern Mississippi.
One that got away: Four-star defensive tackle Thomas Holley of Brooklyn, N.Y., de-committed from Penn State and opted for Florida when longtime Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson became defensive line coach and assistant head coach at Ohio State.
NOTE: Recruits who faxed in letters of intent were welcomed by Franklin and his assistants via cellphone and were announced individually in NFL draft day fashion. There was a draft board that listed all players in the football offices as well.
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PURDUE
National rankings (Rivals 75; Scout 64).
Best in class: Gelen Robinson, de, St. John, Ind.
Best of the rest: David Blough, qb, Carrollton, Texas; Tim Cason, db, Clarkston, Mich.
Late addition: Corey Clements, ol, Mesa (Ariz.) CC.
One that got away: Ladarius Wiley, wr, Los Angeles, decommitted earlier this week.
NOTE: "We're really excited about getting our needs. You look at last season, and I think we've done a lot of good things in addressing those needs." — coach Darrell Hazell.
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RUTGERS
National rankings (Rivals 57; Scout 55).
Best in class: Sideny Gorpe, LB, Newark, N.J.
Best of the rest: Kevin Wilkins, DL, Mahwah, N.J.
Late addition: Giovanni Rescigno, QB, Macomb Township, Mich.
One that got away: Saeed Blacknall, WR, Manalapan, N.J.
NOTE: "...Rutgers had an abysmal year," Mike Farrell, the national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com said. "They've had 12 de-commitments, which is a record. I've never heard of a program that didn't lose a head coach, that didn't go under NCAA sanctions, lose that many kids. They just had a disastrous recruiting year. I think they're ninth in the Big Ten."
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WISCONSIN
National rankings: (Rivals 33; Scout 28).
Best in class: Jaden Gault, OL, Cottage Grove, Wis.
Best of the rest: D.J. Gillins, QB, Jacksonville, Fla.; Dareian Watkins, WR, Galion, Ohio; Taiwan Deal, RB, Capitol Heights, Md.; George Panos, OL, Hartland, Wis.; Conor Sheehy, DL, Milwaukee.
Late addition: D'Cota Dixon, CB, Oak Hill, Fla.
One that got away: Craig Evans, DL, Sun Prairie, Wis. (Michigan St.)
NOTES: Panos' father, Joe, played offensive line at Wisconsin from 1990-93 and was captain of the 1993 Big Ten championship team. ... Andersen's son, Chasen, is joining the Badgers as a walk-on inside linebacker.
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