Hustle Belt - 2017 Northern Illinois Huskies Football Recruiting NewsMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2017-02-01T14:29:22-05:00http://www.hustlebelt.com/rss/stream/107561252017-02-01T14:29:22-05:002017-02-01T14:29:22-05:002017 National Signing Day Recap: Northern Illinois Huskies
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Michigan at Northern Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4Egr4EiE0TgVdS3e7EloIo5XAJg=/0x0:4655x3103/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53042467/usa_today_9608051.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>10 of NIU’s 22 signees were from the Land of Lincoln. </p> <p id="GClv9c">After missing the MAC Championship game for the first time in six years, Northern Illinois will look to get back on top of the MAC West division next year. </p>
<p id="avofwy">On paper, this is a typical NIU recruiting class, a mix of highly rated recruits with reported P5 offers to go with a handful of recruits who went more under-the-radar throughout the recruiting process. </p>
<p id="EeRUdD">This class also is rooted in the Land of Lincoln. Recruiting the state of Illinois has always been a big priority for Rod Carey and his staff, and that did not change in this recruiting cycle. With that said, NIU signed 22 players on National Signing Day.</p>
<p id="UwiAA0">Meet the future of the Northern Illinois Huskies.</p>
<p id="bUGUhj"><strong>The Signees (* denotes early enrollees)</strong></p>
<p id="p263b3">QB Rodney Hall, 3-star, 6’2”, 210, Cass Tech (MI)*</p>
<p id="9WdNlc">LB Michael Kennedy, 2-star, 6’2” 185, Mount Carmel (IL)</p>
<p id="x3E4qN">WR Tyrice Richie, 3-star, 6’0”, 180, Marian Catholic (IL)</p>
<p id="Ld70eh">RB Jordan Nettles, 2-star, 5’9”, 180, Romeoville (IL)</p>
<p id="7cyLBF">WR Cole Tucker, 3-star, 6’2”, 180, DeKalb (IL)</p>
<p id="NryjwX">WR Dennis Robinson, 3-star, 6’5”, 192, South Broward (FL)</p>
<p id="CNm03J">TE Liam Soraghan, 2-star, 6’7” 235, Divine Child (MI)</p>
<p id="H6H3WK">OT Isaac Hawn, 3-star 6’7” 278, St. Charles North (IL)*</p>
<p id="0KqWYK">OT Cole Webster, 3-star, 6’7”, 270, Bettendorf (IA)</p>
<p id="7RX5TR">OT Calvin Dassow, 2-star, 6’7”, 300, Hamilton (WI)</p>
<p id="e5LJOG">DT Justin Nwachukwu, 2-star 6’2”, 290, Butler CC (KS)</p>
<p id="7ln15D">S Dexter Warren, 2-star 5’11, 161, Phillips Academy (IL)</p>
<p id="JVhrNl">LB Jawon Denton, 2-star, 6’3”, 200, Morgan Park (IL)</p>
<p id="7wwzIq">LB Matt Lorbeck, 2-star, 6’3, 220, Bay Port (WI)</p>
<p id="IHS7cv">S Dillon Thomas, 2-star, 6’2, 160, Park Hill South (MO)</p>
<p id="XrGcVH">DT Weston Kramer, 2-star, 6’2, 280, Marmion Academy (IL)</p>
<p id="yEeljl">RB Jordan Rowell, 3-star, 6’1, 190, Immaculate Conception (IL)</p>
<p id="cgIJRX">K Jacob Ballain, 6’0, 180, Whiteland (IN)</p>
<p id="vKXiK0">LB Jordan Cole, 6’3, 182, McCluer South-Berkeley (MO)</p>
<p id="KN7FiY">P Matt Ference, 5’11, 180, Lafayette (MO)</p>
<p id="XhyoQD">DE Connor Schneider, 6’3, 210, Penn (IN)</p>
<p id="UI9gjP">LB Rayshawn Gay, 6’3, 200, Proviso East (IL)</p>
<p id="Y3uJUT"><strong>Offensive Takeaways</strong></p>
<p id="hG5KYH">For the second time in the last three years, the Huskies lost a quarterback commitment to play another position for a B1G program. This year it was 3-star QB/LB Nate Wieland. Wieland originally committed to NIU to play quarterback and was likely to be in the mix of a wide-open quarterback battle for next season. As previously mentioned, Wieland is not the first quarterback to do this in recent years: if you recall, <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/niu-huskies/2015/1/20/7863965/2015-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-qb-ath-alec-ingold-de">Alec Ingold was committed to NIU before hometown Wisconsin offered late in the process.</a>The move has paid off for Ingold so far as he is their starting fullback as he scored 6 touchdowns as a freshman, and 2 in his sophomore campaign. </p>
<p id="vtsMdk">The show will obviously still go on without Wieland as Rodney Hall is already on campus for the 2nd semester. The experience that Hall will gain by enrolling a semester early could turn out to be invaluable. He is a nice fit in this offense, and it looks like he will have an opportunity to see the field early in his career. </p>
<p id="etK8vK">This class is loaded with explosive wide receivers. No matter who winds up starting under center next year, they will have plenty of freshman weapons to choose from. Tyrice Richie is an in-state product who looks to be a potential star. Hometown recruit, Cole Tucker, has been committed for about 11 months and has the ability to stretch the field. Dennis Robinson is a Florida native who signed with the Huskies over a <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Dennis-Robinson-93765/RecruitInterests">reported offer</a> from NC State. All three players are 3-star recruits who will only give coach Carey more weapons to use on offense. </p>
<p id="ExN8vh">While NIU landed quite a few skill position players, the Huskies also continued to beef up their offensive line in this class. Isaac Hawn is NIU’s highest rated signee, and also an early enrollee. He turned down a <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Isaac-Hawn-89264/RecruitInterests">reported offer </a>from Illinois to attend NIU. </p>
<p id="du5LxW"><strong>Defensive Takeaways</strong></p>
<p id="GEE2jl">Nate Wieland is not the only recruit that NIU lost to Iowa unfortunately. 2-star DE Daviyon Nixon also de-committed, and signed with the Hawkeyes on Signing Day.</p>
<p id="UQT6aa">On the bright side, this class brings in a pair of talented JUCO defensive lineman: Devin Webster and Justin Nwachukwu. Nwachukwu originally committed to EMU before ultimately signing with the Huskies. Webster is a guy who went pretty under-the-radar, however look for him to make an immediate impact on the line. If NIU is to improve upon some of their defensive struggles from last year, this pair of JUCO lineman will need to be a major part of the defense. </p>
<p id="Cbg4An">S Dexter Warren is an in-state signee that we’re very high on. At just under 6-feet tall, Warren is a ball-hawking safety who has the ability to see the field as a freshman. All in all, NIU signed an extremely well round recruiting class, especially on defense.</p>
<p id="mrSZcp"><strong>Overall Takeaways</strong></p>
<p id="SWYc0c">This group is probably one of the more underrated recruiting classes in the conference. It is one of the most well-balanced classes in the conference, which will provide much needed depth across the program. If this group of talented receivers can develop some sort of connection with one of NIU’s young quarterbacks, NIU’s offense could be exciting to watch for years to come. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2017/2/1/14448016/2017-national-signing-day-recap-northern-illinois-huskies-rod-carey-niu-football-rodney-hallMike Karpinski2017-01-16T11:00:02-05:002017-01-16T11:00:02-05:00Which teams were busy on the recruiting trail this weekend?
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<p>Making sense of all the recruiting news across the Mid-American Conference this past weekend.</p> <p id="MmxwYw">It was an extremely hectic weekend on the recruiting trail for some programs in the Mid-American Conference. For others, the best is yet to come. Here’s an update on where each team stands:</p>
<p id="192FE1"><strong>Akron</strong></p>
<p id="G4SZ2t"><a href="https://twitter.com/bronald73/status/819911725377953793">OL Ronald Beasley</a></p>
<p id="mpmSV9">Note: There are conflicting reports on what class Beasley is in. <a href="http://www.scout.com/player/214052-ronald-beasley">Scout</a> lists him as a 2017 recruit while his own Twitter profiles classifies him as the class of 2018.</p>
<p id="fsW3ze">Beasley’s only reported offer came from Akron, however it looks like he could be considered a 2018 recruit. This means Akron will have to keep his verbal commitment for the next 13 months, which can prove to be difficult at times. Beasley projects to play center at the next level and could help the Zips immediately after another year of development. </p>
<p id="3YU87i">Current Akron commit, <strong>LB Will Barto </strong>will be taking an official visit next weekend <a href="https://twitter.com/will_barto26/status/819677577543610368">according to his Twitter page</a>. It is very possible that Akron will be hosting loads of recruits in the next few weeks. But that information is not out there yet. Each program usually has one big official visits weekend so there isn’t reason to be alarmed at the shortage of recruiting news on Akron’s end. </p>
<p id="5KM983"><strong>Ball State</strong></p>
<p id="bC98W1"><a href="https://twitter.com/Balebhuntley/status/820687501404864512">RB Caleb Huntley </a></p>
<p id="qJLPfF">Huntley is a six-foot 210 pound running back from Locust Grove, Georgia. The 3-star running back had <a href="http://247sports.com/player/caleb-huntley-83673">reported offers</a> from Minnesota, Kansas, Elon, Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, and Mercer. Huntley originally was supposed to visit coach Fleck in Minnesota for an official visit next weekend, and Kansas the following weekend. However, </p>
<p id="l9vZdL">Huntley is a rather elusive running back, as you can see in this GIF below, who could turn into a nice complement to James Gilbert sooner rather than later. </p>
<p id="kE9omO"><a href="https://twitter.com/Drueth42/status/820056684668264448">LB David Rueth</a></p>
<p id="EXHQpw">The six-foot-one 205 pound outside linebacker from Kettering, OH shows good speed and size at the position. According to Scout, Ball State was his only reported offer. Ball State has been in on Rueth since offering him back in November. Clearly the staff sees something they like in Rueth and it will be interesting to see how he develops at the next level. </p>
<p id="w9tPFB"><strong>Bowling Green</strong></p>
<p id="isq0hQ"><a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Tyree-Jackson-90532">DE Tyree Jackson</a></p>
<p id="PVfZ55">Jackson is a six-foot four inch 245 pound defensive end from Jones High School in Orlando, Florida. The 3-Star recruit had reported offers from: Buffalo, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Ohio, UTSA, Troy, Western Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Tulane, and UCF. </p>
<p id="3likJd"></p>
<p id="e8rLmR"><strong>CMU</strong></p>
<p id="2m812Z">3-star WR Nick Robinson was in for an<a href="https://twitter.com/teamnick__/status/820720859803516928"> official visit this past weekend</a>. He has <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Nick-Robinson-92379/RecruitInterests">reported offers</a> from some big-time programs including three SEC programs Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. He would be a huge addition to an already solid class. His commitment would help catapult the Chippewas into the conversation for the best class in the conference. </p>
<p id="ZUFPNd"><strong>EMU</strong></p>
<p id="J3jQ4f"><a href="https://twitter.com/cj_hunt99/status/820847007065579520"><strong>DT CJ Hunt</strong></a></p>
<p id="WKRa0L">Hunt originally was committed to BG before flipping over the weekend on an official visit. <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/5/15/11680084/2017-bowling-green-football-recruiting-dt-cj-hunt-commits-to-the-falcons">Here’s what we had to say about Hunt back when he originally committed to Bowling Green.</a> </p>
<p id="hMlPkU"><strong>Kent State</strong></p>
<p id="6NAuNM">A decent amount of current commits have already taken their official visits, so anyone who visits Kent State from here on out will be likely be an uncommitted player. It will be interesting to see how this class comes together, and what offensive playmakers coach Haynes adds to the mix.</p>
<p id="vzbjeP">Their class overall is looking extremely strong in the secondary and on defense as a whole. To round this class out, look for them to try to add some more fire power on the offensive side of the ball. </p>
<p id="JdJukc"><a href="http://247sports.com/player/cj-turner-94142">2-star WR CJ Turner </a>out of Louisiana is a wide receiver that could make an impact. He recently took an official visit to Idaho.</p>
<p id="hTl8kJ"><strong>Miami</strong></p>
<p id="6GD7gX"><a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/12/11/13818106/mac-football-recruiting-akron-ball-state-bowling-green-cmu-emu-kent-state-miami-toledo-ohio-wmu-niu">3-star DB Darrick Forrest</a> received an offer from Cincinnati over the weekend. Other than Forrest, Miami’s class is pretty much done for now. Assuming there are no de-commitments, Miami does not seem to be going after any uncommitted players. I could see them going after one of these Western Michigan commits if they wind up losing Forrest to Cincinnati. </p>
<p id="syO19Z"><strong>NIU</strong></p>
<p id="lRkByl">There isn’t much news on the recruiting trail for the Huskies right now, which can be seen as either good news or bad news depending on how you look at it. NIU has a solid class intact, so little to no news is good as no one is trying to flip their recruits (...yet). Most importantly, NIU is set to sign two high school QB’s in this class which is something they’ve lost late in the recruiting process for the past few years. Alec Ingold specifically comes to mind. His late decommitment, and Landon Root’s transfer plus a flurry of injuries at quarterback put NIU in a tough spot last season. Bringing in two QB’s in this class will help solve the depth issue at the position. </p>
<p id="Mavfqd">The only recent news that has developed was that 2-star DE Daviyon Nixon was offered by new head coach Jeff Brohm and Purdue recently. Nixon was a player who has gone pretty much under-the-radar, but is extremely talented. If NIU can hang onto him, he could turn out to be this class’s diamond in the rough. </p>
<p id="cSQgzP"><strong>Ohio</strong></p>
<p id="ABXnaT"><a href="https://twitter.com/JyltonTusha/status/820790216717963266">OL Jylton Tusha</a></p>
<p id="UGRTBs">Tusha a six-foot five inch 305 pound offensive lineman out of University Christian High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He had reported offers from: Southern Miss, Purdue, Cincinnati, Toledo, Coastal Carolina, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Massachusetts, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Duke, North Carolina, South Carolina, UCF, USF, and West Virginia. </p>
<p id="Tk8UQL"><a href="https://twitter.com/juanwatkinsjr/status/820662743346937859">DE Vonnie Watkins</a></p>
<p id="PPPnnS">Vonnie Watkins is a six-foot five inch 218 pound defensive end from Lusby, MD. An under-the-radar guy, Watkins played both tight end and defensive end in high school but will line up on defense in college. </p>
<p id="SDLEA5"><a href="https://twitter.com/lilt3hunna/status/820398555500310528">LB T.J. Robinson </a></p>
<p id="41XVxY">A six-foot 200 pound line backer from Jacksonville, Florida. His reported offers include: Appalachian State, FIU, Colorado, Western Michigan, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Middle Tennessee State. </p>
<p id="QpCjz7"><a href="https://twitter.com/_scubaSTeve77/status/820715963456847873">OL Steven Hayes</a></p>
<p id="ADrtBH">Hayes currently attends Hutchinson community college and chose the Bobcats over reported offers from Eastern Kentucky and Georgia State.</p>
<p id="rSigfr"><strong>Toledo</strong></p>
<p id="WGXbFp">3-star LB <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/8/4/12383080/2017-toledo-football-recruiting-lb-derrick-barnes-commits-to-the-rockets">Derrick Barnes</a> took his official visit this weekend. Right now Toledo has the best recruiting class in the MAC so far. It will be interesting to monitor their ablility to keep it that way however.</p>
<p id="KBoXAK">With 4-star RB Mike Warren recently receiving an offer from Cincinnati, it will be interesting to see if Warren actually winds up playing in front of his hometown or spurns the Rockets for the Queen City. </p>
<p id="iG68gh"><strong>WMU</strong></p>
<p id="60ekUL">Multiple commits took their official visits this weekend. Most of the players have at least reopened their recruitment, and plan to visit another school as of right now. It will be interesting to monitor if that situation changes at all now that the Broncos have hired a new coach. </p>
<p id="wTMdri">3-star DB AJ Thomas and 3-star DT Chris Elmore confirmed to us that they took official visits to Kalamazoo this past weekend. Plenty more recruiting news to come on Western Michigan over the next week or two.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2017/1/16/14281262/busy-on-the-recruiting-trail-this-weekend-akron-ball-state-cmu-emu-kent-miami-niu-ohio-toledo-wmu-bgMike KarpinskiW. Payne2016-12-11T17:18:35-05:002016-12-11T17:18:35-05:00MAC Football Recruiting Notebook
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<figcaption>It’s been a busy week on the recruiting trail within the MAC.</figcaption>
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<p>An update on the big weekend that was on the Mid-American Conference recruiting trail. </p> <p id="izRTY3">The MAC Championship game turned out to be a historic night for the conference. Western Michigan completed an undefeated regular season, earning themselves a bid in the Cotton Bowl. However, now that the regular season has concluded each team will turn their sights to the recruiting trail for the next couple of weeks. For most teams in the MAC, things have been heating up lately. </p>
<p id="ivlmeD">As always, for a full list of each program’s commits <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/2/29/11130652/mac-football-commits-2017-class">check out our recruiting database.</a> </p>
<p id="2iuDZI">Here’s an update for each team on the recruiting trail:</p>
<p id="CTIsOk"><strong>Akron</strong></p>
<p id="PdxnPV"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/13TVBJ">ATH Jordyn Riley</a></p>
<p id="nxtxAR"> Akron was Riley’s only reported FBS offer, while he reports multiple offers from FCS programs. Despite playing both receiver and defensive back in high school, it’s unclear which position Riley will play at the next level. Riley is Akron’s third commit from the state of Florida, their 13th total. As more players announce their intents to transfer across college football, look for Akron to be in the mix as usual. </p>
<p id="5kZDH0"><strong>Ball State</strong></p>
<p id="Y6aCaS"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/3928008/demetrius-murray">DB Demetrius Murray</a></p>
<p id="IDO7Uo"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2749207/57c2e3cd0f1a5452ecdb7922">RB Jimmy Daw</a></p>
<p id="mCEVoP"> Murray is yet another defensive back to join this recruiting class for the Cardinals. Murray reportedly held an offer from Oregon State, however originally committed to Fresno State. Moving forward, Murray lined up next to fellow commit Myles Hannah is going to make scoring rather difficult for offenses across the MAC. </p>
<p id="xfPZRr"><strong>Bowling Green</strong></p>
<p id="huJOhV"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/6042145/jamari-rouse">DT Jamari Rouse</a></p>
<p id="nQCZRg"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/3256673/jordan-murphy">DE Jordan Murphy</a></p>
<p id="yLdSf0"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/3524934/cedric-mitchell">WR Cedric Mitchell</a></p>
<p id="k0CcqN"> Bowling Green has put a focus on defense over the past few months. Since the late summer, they’ve rounded up some major talent. Their three commits have all been 3-star recruits. Wide receiver Cedric Mitchell adds yet another playmaker to this Bowling Green class. He <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Cedric-Mitchell-93740/RecruitInterests">had offers from</a> Cincinnati, Iowa State, as well as most of the MAC. On the defensive line, Rouse and Murphy offer much needed depth. Murphy is an in-state product who <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Jordan-Murphy-85184/RecruitInterests">reported an offer </a>from Iowa State as well as multiple MAC offers. Rouse hails from the Sunshine State and his only other reported offer was from Temple. Murphy and Rouse are the third and fourth commits on the defensive line thus far in this class. </p>
<p id="fkPdpd"><strong>Buffalo</strong></p>
<p id="sVPxeh">Highlighting Buffalo’s class overall, it is small but packs a punch. QB Kyle Van Trease is a solid building block for the future and be given an opportunity to compete for the job sooner rather than later. Tyree Jackson has three years of eligibility remaining and looks to be Buffalo’s quarterback of the future, however if he struggles to start the year it would not be surprising if Van Trease was given an opportunity. He’s gone relatively under-the-radar throughout his recruiting process as his only non-MAC offer came from Cincinnati. He’ll be a priority for coach Leipold over the next two months to ensure he keeps his QB of this class. Before Signing Day look for Buffalo to add some depth on both the offensive and defensive line. Their only lineman commit currently is Cincinnati native, OL Jacob Gall.</p>
<p id="89QzC9"><strong>CMU</strong></p>
<p id="LEVQUT"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/4014616/jacorey-sullivan">WR/S Jacorey Sullivan</a></p>
<p id="jom9m2"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/4867506/elijah-james">DE Elijah James</a></p>
<p id="HPwizT"> Coach Bonamego has put an emphasis on recruiting the state of Michigan, which has paid dividends for him this recruiting cycle. 12 out of their 16 commitments hail from Michigan. Most recently, the commitment of Jacorey Sullivan provided a huge boost to this recruiting class. Sullivan is a 3-star recruit who is capable of playing both wide receiver and safety at the next level. It is unclear which position he will play for CMU, however he will bring some versatility once he arrives on campus. Sullivan chose the Chippewas over reported offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami, Toledo, and WMU. James went pretty under-the-radar as CMU is his only reported offer, however fills a void in this class at defensive end. James is just the second defensive lineman to commit this recruiting cycle. He will have a nice opportunity to compete for snaps as a third-down pass rusher early in his career at CMU. </p>
<p id="YMiG9t"><strong>EMU</strong></p>
<p id="JYgJ8k">EMU’s class currently stands at seven commitments, two of which are quarterbacks. While Grissom is extremely athletic and could wind up at safety down the road, he also will have the opportunity to play quarterback to start. Preston Hutchinson plays like a more prototypical pocket passer so coach Creighton will have various styles to choose from at the quarterback position. <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Steven-Franklin-85707/RecruitInterests">2-star LB Steven Franklin</a> is a name to watch for EMU as he has been high on the Eagles for a while. </p>
<p id="SzeZy3"><strong>Kent State</strong></p>
<p id="QpyamO">Kent State will be an interesting team to monitor up until Signing Day. They are known for finishing recruiting cycles out strong and people shouldn’t expect anything to the contrary this year. The Golden Flashes currently are sitting at 13 commits by our count. They could use a wide receiver or two to add to this class as well as another lineman or two. Some names to watch include <a href="http://247sports.com/player/andrew-kerobo-91204">OL Andrew Kerobo</a> and <a href="http://247sports.com/player/dominick-covatto-92993">DL Dominick Covatto</a>. </p>
<p id="jdphg6"><strong>Miami</strong></p>
<p id="8FG7JL"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/2923004/david-redding">OL David Redding</a></p>
<p id="n9GMGn"><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/3986201/darrick-forrest-jr">DB Darrick Forrest</a></p>
<p id="bOXlmH"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/2990435/57d96d2f842eb23a3418d4e0">LB Mike Brown</a></p>
<p id="xGoSeb"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/3650402/57d6b90cdfe2992630ee6db6">DT Elijah Watson</a></p>
<p id="J5TUeY">Coach Martin and his staff are the hottest team on the recruiting trail in the conference, and it’s not even close. It all started when they were able to flip 3-star OL David Redding from WMU. Redding is teammates with current Miami commit, 3-star ATH Mitchell Burton. Just this morning, they added another 3-star recruit in DB Darrick Forrest. Forrest is considered to be one of the top players in Columbus. His teammate <a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Michael-Ayers-91981">Michael Ayers</a> could follow Forrest to Oxford if offered the opportunity, which would bolster the Redhawks secondary even further in this class. Elijah Watson joined this class on Saturday evening, a 2-star defensive tackle from Lawrenceville, Georgia. Georgia is a state that Miami has recruited extremely well during the Chuck Martin era, and that has not changed in this recruiting cycle. Arizona <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruitment/Elijah-Watson-94611/RecruitInterests">reportedly offered</a> Watson as well as Ball State, UTSA, and Georgia State. LB Mike Brown committed on Sunday morning as well, their commitment from the state of Michigan. 3-star RB/S Davion Johnson committed back in October over reported offers from Iowa State, Syracuse, Ohio, Toledo, WMU, CMU, and Ball State. </p>
<p id="K47qBA">Below is a picture of all the recruits Miami had on campus over the weekend courtesy of RB commit Jaylon Bester.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great Official Visit with the bros ⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiOHFootball">@MiamiOHFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MARTIN_MIAMI_HC">@MARTIN_MIAMI_HC</a> <a href="https://t.co/qqAT7oOOqf">pic.twitter.com/qqAT7oOOqf</a></p>— Jaylon Bester™ (@primetime9_) <a href="https://twitter.com/primetime9_/status/807979836765597696">December 11, 2016</a>
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<p id="Q5RwXJ"><strong>NIU</strong></p>
<p id="tg7wOt"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/5666054/devin-webster">DT Devin Webster</a></p>
<p id="fQUKqe">Webster chose the Huskies over reported offers from Arkansas State, Southeast Missouri State, Southeastern Louisiana, and Southern Illinois. Webster wasn’t the only JUCO defensive tackle on campus this weekend, however as Reggie Miles also visited this weekend. Miles only <a href="https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/maple/189686">reported offer</a> comes from Southeast Missouri State. </p>
<p id="4t7pER">Maintaining 3-star QB Rodney Hall will be critical for coach Carey and his staff. Their quarterback depth has suffered over the last few years due to late de-commitments from the quarterback position. Luckily, NIU currently has two quarterback commits so they should not be shunned completely this year. Both Wieland and Hall will immediately be thrust into a quarterback competition to start next year. Wieland may have the upper hand to start as Wieland looks more college ready at this time, however Hall will be considered the quarterback of the future. It is easy to envision a scenario where Hall redshirts as a freshman before getting a legitimate opportunity to start the year after, while Wieland competes for snaps as a true freshman. Stabilizing the quarterback position will be critical for NIU if they hope to compete for the MAC West championship next year. </p>
<p id="rBRETr"><strong>Ohio</strong></p>
<p id="U5YFNd"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/5663970/morgan-ellison">RB Morgan Ellison</a></p>
<p id="EIDxsr"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/2590508/marlin-brooks">S Marlin Brooks</a></p>
<p id="TZXR3d"><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/3926577/samson-henry-jackson">OL Samson Jackson</a></p>
<p id="x15vZo"><a href="http://www.hudl.com/profile/2912325/tre-newton">OL Tre Newton</a></p>
<p id="NxISHr">Outside of Miami, Ohio has been the most active team in the conference on the recruiting trail over the last month or so. Despite only having nine commitments, they have developed a strong core to build off of over the next two months. RB Morgan Ellison is a power 5 talent when healthy. It is fair to say that the entire Bobcats coaching staff is crossing their fingers that a P5 program doesn’t swoop in and offer Ellison before Signing Day. 3-star safety Marlin Brooks originally was committed to Florida International before ultimately choosing the Bobcats. The Florida native also reported an offer from Florida Atlantic. ATH Willie Cherry was another solid pickup; you can learn more about Cherry <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/11/27/13754656/2017-ohio-football-recruiting-3-star-ath-willie-cherry-commits-to-the-bobcats-wichita-falls-texas">here</a>. OL Samson Jackson committed over offers from FIU, Old Dominion, Southern Mississippi, Stetson, and Troy. Tre Newton is the only other offensive lineman currently committed. Ohio was the only program to offer Newton, who currently attends Blinn JUCO. Look for Ohio to focus on adding some bulk on both the defensive and offensive line over the next few weeks. They also will need to add a linebacker or two to help fill out this recruiting class. </p>
<p id="Bevq48"><strong>Toledo</strong></p>
<p id="2IWiBY">TE Travis Koontz’s commitment back in October was a big-time pickup for the Rockets. Not only is Toledo getting a pass-catching tight end, they also flipped him from rival Bowling Green. Koontz is the second 3-star tight end to join this class so far, the other being Drew Rosi. Kelvin Ateman Jr. re-committed back in October, which gave this class a huge boost. He gives them added depth on the offensive line and is their third 3-star offensive line commit. Next, look for Toledo to turn their sights to JUCO DE Anthony Luke who took <a href="https://twitter.com/The_AnthonyLuke/status/804813834338897924">an official visit earlier in December</a>. If Toledo can finish this cycle strong, it could be a 3-team race for number one class in the MAC between the Rockets, Miami and WMU. </p>
<p id="KJG4HC"><strong>WMU</strong></p>
<p id="10BhE7">With so many recruits already committed, WMU has been rather quiet on the recruiting trail lately. As mentioned earlier, they lost 3-star OL David Redding to Miami. With four offensive lineman already committed, it won’t affect the Broncos too much although it hurts to lose Redding to an in-conference foe. Redding will have a better chance to play earlier in his career with the RedHawks. An interesting situation developed last week for the Broncos when the Cincinnati job opened up. While many thought P.J. Fleck would consider the job, rather he considered poaching a recruit from the Bearcats.<a href="http://247sports.com/player/jaelen-greene-88675"> 3-star RB Jaelen Greene</a> flipped his commitment from Cincinnati to WMU...briefly. Once Cincinnati announced the hiring of Luke Fickell, Greene quickly flipped back to Cincinnati after being committed to WMU for no longer than 24 hours. At 24 commits, WMU’s class is just about filled however that does not mean this class is set in stone. Former EMU commit, <a href="http://247sports.com/player/kaiser-carleton-81983">RB Kaiser Carleton</a> is a name to watch over the coming weeks as he has taken multiple visits to WMU in the past and has been high on them for a while. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/12/11/13818106/mac-football-recruiting-akron-ball-state-bowling-green-cmu-emu-kent-state-miami-toledo-ohio-wmu-niuMike Karpinski2016-09-07T08:00:07-04:002016-09-07T08:00:07-04:002017 Northern Illinois Football Recruiting: WR Tyrice Richie commits to the Huskies
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northern Illinois at Wyoming" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qsemSpUqQcNOs2RKj3dnrmQBOpA=/117x0:4095x2652/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50707663/usa-today-9519332.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>NIU adds commitment from a talented in-state receiver.</p> <p id="hKvJrd">Despite suffering a<a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/9/4/12791744/recap-wyoming-outlasts-northern-illinois-40-34-in-3ot"> heartbreaking defeat</a> over the weekend in triple overtime, coach Carey and his staff made a big splash on the recruiting trail. </p>
<p id="eGF5aJ">In-state standout Tyrice Richie announced his commitment to the Huskies on Monday evening. He currently attends Marian Catholic located in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He chose the Huskies over a reported offer from Miami.</p>
<p id="UAR5SF">Shortly after his commitment the 6-foot-1, 190 pound wide receiver caught up with <em>Hustle Belt</em> to explain what he liked about NIU.</p>
<p id="9dq5YR">“NIU made me feel like I was at home. I really loved the campus, coaching staff and of course the football team when I went down to visit.”</p>
<p id="Upz07o">Richie, rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports Composite and Scout, is the third wide receiver to join NIU’s 2017 recruiting class. Although NIU will lose Kenny Golladay to graduation, the future looks bright at wide receiver. The trio of Richie, <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/3/10/11194754/2017-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-wr-cole-tucker-commits-to">Cole Tucker</a>, and <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/7/12/12019614/mac-football-recruiting-roundup-commits-edition-ball-state-cmu-emu-kent-st-miami-redhawks-toledo-wmu">Dennis Robinson</a> is a scary sight for opposing MAC defenses.</p>
<p id="EDEpfR">Richie’s junior highlights are private, however we were able to dig up his sophomore highlights courtesy of Hudl.</p>
<div id="DEWRLI"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/4785668/5721bf089a90ec554083031a" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/9/7/12826140/2017-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-wr-tyrice-richie-commits-to-the-huskiesMike Karpinski2016-05-23T18:29:46-04:002016-05-23T18:29:46-04:00NIU lands commitment from S Dillon Thomas
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<p>NIU landed its fourth 2017 commitment last week. </p> <p>Last week, coach Rod Carey tweeted out something presumably referring to his newest verbal commitment.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another Huskie in the pack! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HUS17IES?src=hash">#HUS17IES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HuskiesJustGotBetter?src=hash">#HuskiesJustGotBetter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHardWay?src=hash">#TheHardWay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PayTheRent?src=hash">#PayTheRent</a></p>
— Rod Carey (@niucoachcarey) <a href="https://twitter.com/niucoachcarey/status/731278412963176448">May 14, 2016</a>
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<p>It took five days for the silent commit to officially announce his decision. Last Thursday we found out that this silent commit was safety Dillon Thomas.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's been fun <a href="https://t.co/ZjNF9oLrg4">pic.twitter.com/ZjNF9oLrg4</a></p>
— DT11 (@DillonThomas_11) <a href="https://twitter.com/DillonThomas_11/status/733455245997531136">May 20, 2016</a>
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<p>According to his Twitter account, he reports offers from Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, Army, Air Force, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa.</p>
<p>Thomas currently attends Park Hill South located in Kansas City, Missouri. He stands at 6-foot-2 175 pounds and projects to play safety at the next level.</p>
<p>Thomas may not be a three-star recruit, it is clear that Thomas is adopting NIU's motto of "The Hard Way" and is excited for the opportunity that is being presented to him. Despite being an under-the-radar recruit, don't be surprised to see Thomas carve out a role on special teams as a freshman and find his way into some regular playing time by his sophomore year.</p>
<p>Check out Thomas's junior highlights courtesy of Hudl:</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/athlete/2185708/highlights/283225400" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/5/23/11754188/2017-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-s-dillon-thomas-commits-toMike Karpinski2016-05-02T10:52:53-04:002016-05-02T10:52:53-04:003-star QB Rodney Hall explains why he chose NIU
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z3lVny8m9YffsLuNGmwP9AmxWxQ=/0x0:1299x866/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49466797/usa-today-8901351.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>NIU landed its third commitment for the 2017 class on Wednesday. </p> <div>Rod Carey and his staff received a nice surprise on Wednesday when they received a commitment out of Michigan. Quarterback Rodney Hall announced his commitment to NIU.</div>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Blessed to say I've committed to Northern Illinois University ⚫️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HUS17IES?src=hash">#HUS17IES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PayTheRent?src=hash">#PayTheRent</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHardWay?src=hash">#TheHardWay</a> <a href="https://t.co/83ogUyZFfT">pic.twitter.com/83ogUyZFfT</a></p>
— Superman (@rodney1hall) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodney1hall/status/725459595238494208">April 27, 2016</a>
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<div>Hall chose the Huskies over <a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Rodney-Hall-83505" target="_blank">reported offers</a> from Buffalo, EMU, Kent State, Syracuse, and WMU. Scout currently ranks him as <a href="http://www.scout.com/player/181387-rodney-hall" target="_blank">a 3-star quarterback.</a>all currently attends football powerhouse Cass Tech out of Detroit, Michigan. He continues the streak of great quarterbacks out of Cass Tech as this is the <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/WilcherThomas/status/725388274756411393">8th consecutive year</a> that their starting quarterback has received a scholarship to play at the next level.</div>
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<div>NIU's class now stands at six as Hall is the first out of state recruit to join the class. Hall should serve as a leader for this upcoming recruiting class especially on the offensive side of the ball. Shortly after his commitment, 3-star OL Kendrick Green tweeted this at Hall.</div>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Possibly a future teammate? <a href="https://t.co/pf8VcBuLq3">https://t.co/pf8VcBuLq3</a></p>
— Kendrick J. Green (@The_fridge53) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_fridge53/status/725708768181284864">April 28, 2016</a>
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<div>Shortly after Hall announced his decision, he explained to <i>Hustle Belt </i>why he chose NIU.</div>
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<div>""It was the perfect fit. They want me to come play early and that's what I want to do in college, and I love the staff and they've showed that there the most interested in me in playing QB."</div>
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<div>Hall wants to win while in college, and NIU has done just that over the past winning at least a share of the MAC West the past six seasons. Hall isn't just focused on athletics however, he is hoping to excel in classroom as a Physical Therapy major as well.</div>
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<div>"Well I want to start and win! I want to win championships every year I'm at NIU. I will be studying Physical Therapy, so while I'm there I want to keep my GPA high."<br>
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<div>He also explained to us that some schools were recruiting him as a QB, while others offered/recruited him as an athlete until they saw him throw in person.</div>
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<div>Hall is a legitimate dual threat quarterback who brings a nice balance of speed along with a strong arm. Hall is a player who could thrive in NIU's offense and seems to be a perfect fit for the program.</div>
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<div>Check out his junior highlights below courtesy of Hudl:</div>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" width="640" src="//www.hudl.com/embed/athlete/4075178/highlights/316193376"></iframe></p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/5/2/11550774/2017-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-2-star-qb-rodney-hallMike Karpinski2016-04-25T18:35:36-04:002016-04-25T18:35:36-04:002-star DB Dexter Warren commits to NIU
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_vQT06sPZdKRO_xdolzQA5cHl_M=/2x0:797x530/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49400265/NIU-Recruiting.0.png" />
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<p>NIU landed its second commitment on Monday afternoon.</p> <p>Northern Illinois received a verbal commitment from local defensive back Dexter Warren. The news that NIU landed a commitment did not come as too much of a surprise as coach Carey tweeted this out over the weekend.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another Huskie in the pack! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HuskiesJustGotBetter?src=hash">#HuskiesJustGotBetter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHardWay?src=hash">#TheHardWay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PayTheRent?src=hash">#PayTheRent</a></p>
— Rod Carey (@niucoachcarey) <a href="https://twitter.com/niucoachcarey/status/724009449971654656">April 23, 2016</a>
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<p>It took a few days for us to find out who exactly this mysterious commit was, however now we know coach Carey was referencing Warren. Warren broke the news on his Twitter page Monday afternoon.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Blessed to say I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at Northern Illinois University <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHardWay?src=hash">#TheHardWay</a> ⚪️ <a href="https://t.co/hirXv23PYG">pic.twitter.com/hirXv23PYG</a></p>
— Dexter Warren (@dexterwarren23) <a href="https://twitter.com/dexterwarren23/status/724691623561539584">April 25, 2016</a>
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<p>Warren is a local product, hailing from Phillips Academy in Chicago. He chose the Huskies over<a target="_blank" href="https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/108882"> reported offers </a>from Central Michigan and Ball State.</p>
<p>He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 165 pounds and helped lead Phillips to a state championship last season. Warren is rated a 2-star recruit by Scout.</p>
<p>After watching his junior highlights, Warren looks like a ball-hawking safety who excels in jump ball situations and possesses above average hands for a safety. It will be interesting to see how Warren develops going into his senior year as he is yet another intriguing, under-the-radar prospect for the Huskies.</p>
<p>Check out Warren's highlights for yourself courtesy of Hudl:</p>
<p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/athlete/6523548/highlights/296539396" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football-recruiting/2016/4/25/11505474/2017-northern-illinois-football-recruiting-db-dexter-warren-commits-huskiesMike Karpinski2016-03-25T19:07:58-04:002016-03-25T19:07:58-04:002017 RB Jalen Holston receives offer from NIU Huskies<iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/athlete/2624932/highlights/301792379" width="640" height="360" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>3-star RB Jalen Holston announced on Twitter that he has received an offer from Northern Illinois. Holston currently <a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Jalen-Holston-84234" target="new">reports offers</a> from Charlotte, Colorado State, Duke, Florida, Georgia Southern, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, Tulane, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and WKU. Holston took an unofficial visit to NIU on Friday morning. According to a recent <a href="http://www.cameronmillsradio.com/2016/03/24/jalen-holston-interview/" target="new">article published by Cameron Mills Radio</a>, Holston wants to narrow his list of top 5 schools down by the summer and hopes to announce a decision by the fourth of July.</p></p></div>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/3/25/11307170/2017-rb-jalen-holston-receives-offer-from-niu-huskiesMike Karpinski