Feb. 2, 2005

2005 Northwestern Football Signing Class
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Coach Walker News Conference Quotes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Head coach Randy Walker and the Northwestern University football program announced today the signing of 20 football recruits to National Letters of Intent.

Led by three players who were named players-of-the-year in their state and/or region -- linebacker Chris Jeske (Joliet Catholic Academy), the Chicago Sun-Times Illinois Player of the Year; running Tyrell Sutton (Akron Archbishop Hoban HS), Ohio's "Mr. Football;" and defensive back Brendan Smith (New Hampton School), New Hampshire's 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2004 New England Prep School Class A Player of the Year -- Northwestern has filled a number of needs with a balanced, talented class.

"This might be one of the most talented classes Northwestern has ever recruited," said Walker. "We'll know a little more about this group in two or three years, however. As impressive as their credentials and honors are on paper, I'm even more excited and impressed about this group's character.

"Once again, our coaching staff and players deserve a great deal of credit for attracting this class. Our players represent our institution so well and they really help us make sure we find student-athletes who are a good fit for Northwestern."

Five of Northwestern's 20 recruits hail from the state of Illinois, with four coming from the greater Chicagoland area. In all, 12 states are represented in this recruiting class, reflecting Northwestern's mission to enroll a diverse and national undergraduate class.

"We focused on recruiting linemen this year, as well as some of the skill positions--especially linebacker, running back and quarterback," said Walker. "We are going to lose some quality players in those areas the next couple years and need to groom some of our younger talent this year."

This year's class is once again balanced with offensive and defensive players -- 11 on offense and nine on defense.

"Overall, Northwestern definitely filled some needs," said Tim O'Halloran, a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "I would call this class a success for Randy Walker. The Wildcats' big thing coming into this year was linemen and they certainly got four or five quality kids."

Northwestern is coming off back-to-back six-win seasons, as well as a fourth-place finish (5-3) in the Big Ten in 2004.

Signing Day Notes:
• The breakdown on NU's signees, by position: quarterback (3), running back (2), wide receiver (1), offensive line (4), defensive line (5), linebacker (4) and defensive back (1).
• Northwestern added two more players from Texas, giving the Wildcats a total of 11 Lone Star state players on their current roster. Illinois continues to lead the way with a total of 21 players.
• 15 of NU's 20 recruits were ranked in either their state or region by at least one of the major recruiting publications.

Northwestern's 2005 Recruiting Class

Malcolm Arrington
6-2 • 225
Rochester Hills, Mich. • Orchard Lake St. Mary's Prep
Projected Position: Linebacker

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region ... Ranked 89th regionally by SuperPrep among Midwest players ... Ranked 13th (SuperPrep) and 15th (Rivals.com) best player in Michigan ... Michigan Division II first-team all-state and Detroit News all-metro linebacker ... Also named to all-region, all-district, Michigan All-North and Oakland All-County teams ... Detroit Player and Catholic League Player of the Week honors ... Detroit News Top 7 Big Chip selection ... Notched 109 tackles (71 solos), 4 forced fumbles, 3 recovered fumbles, 10 sacks and 1 interception ... Shared team's tackle title with defensive end Chris McLaurin, who signed with Michigan ... Helped team advance to Division II state title game before falling to Muskegon in championship ... Eaglets finished 11-2 ... Totaled a career-best 20 tackles in state playoff win over previously unbeaten Birmingham Brother Rice ... Had career-best four sacks in 36-0 win vs. Detroit Country Day ... Also played running back, totaling 1,045 yards (168 carries, 7.9 ypc) and 16 touchdowns ... Rushed for a career-best 295 yards against Dearborn Divine Child ... Team MVP and captain ... Selected to play in Michigan (East squad) All-Star game ... As a junior, led the Eaglets in rushing yards and touchdowns, and earned Oakland All-County and All-North first-team honors ... Also lettered three years each in track (sprints) and basketball (forward) ... Class vice president ... French Student of the Year ... NHS and Who's Who ... Coached by George Porritt.
Personal: Born Malcolm Evans Arrington on 6/19/87 ... Son of Fred and Sandra Arrington ... Father played football at Purdue, and then in the NFL (New York Jets and Detroit Lions) ... Plans to major in pre-medicine ... Chose Northwestern over Stanford, Vanderbilt and Indiana.

Thomas Bemenderfer (pronounced BEEM-un-durf-er)
6-5 • 270
Mishawaka, Ind. • Penn
Projected Position: Offensive Line

High School: Ranked 14th-best player in Indiana and 74th nationally among defensive tackles by SuperPrep ... Earned all-state honors as a junior at defensive tackle, and all-state honors as a senior at offensive tackle ... Helped lead the Kingsmen to back-to-back regional championships, as well as a state final appearance in 2003 ... Penn captured Northern Indiana Conference and Class 5A Sectional titles all four years he played ... Selected to play in Indiana's North-South All-Star game ... 2004 Gridiron Digest consensus all-state selection ... Wendy's Heisman Award finalist ... Burger King Outstanding Student-Athlete ... Indianapolis Colts Academic All-Star ... Named to Indiana's "Tremendous 26" ... Also lettered in wrestling and played rugby ... A state finalist in the heavyweight division his sophomore and junior years ... Captain of football, wrestling and rugby teams ... Chosen to play on USA U-19 rugby team ... NHS and school's Honor Roll ... Coached by Cory Yeoman.
Personal: Born Thomas Bradford Bemenderfer on 12/2/85 ... Son of Todd and Judy Bemenderfer ... Anticipated major is pre-medicine ... Chose Northwestern over Illinois, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio).

Andrew Brewer
6-3 • 205
Tulsa, Okla. • Jenks
Projected Position: Quarterback

High School: Named an all-state quarterback by the Daily Oklahoman, Tulsa World and the Oklahoma Coaches Association ... Led prep power Jenks to the Class 6A state title game in both 2003 and 2004 ... The Trojans won the state championship in 2003 (12-2) ... Went 12-1 his senior year, with the loss coming in the championship game ... SuperPrep All-Midlands Region team ... Ranked 47th in SuperPrep's region player rankings and ninth in the state ... Ranked 11th in the state by Rivals.com ... For career, threw for 3,705 yards (220-of-407), 45 touchdowns and 16 interceptions ... Also rushed for 1,081 yards (on 187 carries, 5.8 ypc) and 12 touchdowns ... Team captain ... 2004 District Co-Player of the Year ... Playing in the Oklahoma High School All-Star game in July, 2005 as well as the Oil Bowl (Oklahoma vs. Texas all-stars) ... Also played safety and registered 18 tackles and two interceptions in 2004 ... One of his best throwing performances came against Ponca City: 12-of-16 for 237 yards and three TDs ... Versus Muskogee, totaled 163 passing yards (three TDs) and 165 rushing yards (1 TD) ... Also helped the Trojans to a state title in track and field ... A 2004 NSIC All-American in the 4x400 relay ... Four-year member of school's Honor Roll and a Student-of-the-Month honoree ... Coached by Allan Trimble.
Personal: Born Andrew Jesse Brewer on 9/27/86 ... Son of Paul and Jewel Brewer ... Father played football one year at Tulsa ... Chose Northwestern over Kansas, TCU and Tulsa.

Tyler Compton
6-5 • 290
Humble, Texas • Humble
Projected Position: Offensive Line

High School: An all-district offensive guard and tackle ... Two-year full-time starter and three-year letterwinner ... Listed on Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine Top 300 .... Started several games as a sophomore when the Wildcats went 11-2, began the season as Texas' top ranked team and finished as a regional semifinalist, a No. 6 state ranking and a No. 13 national ranking ... Hails from the same town and high school as current NU defensive end, David Ngene ... Ninth-ranked offensive guard in Texas, according to Rivals.com ... Helped Humble compile a three-year record of 23-12 ... As a junior, the Wildcats finished as the district runner-up, beating 10-0 Aldine Eisenhower in the first round of the Class 5A Championship and then losing in the second to eventual state champion North Shore ... In 2004, helped Humble lead the district in total offense while averaging 7.0 yards per rushing attempt ... Other top football players from Humble include David Givens (New England Patriots) and Bertrand Berry (Arizona Cardinals) ... Competed in shot put in track and field ... Coached by Neal Quillin.
Personal: Born Tyler John Compton on 6/17/87 ... Son of Lou and Jenny Compton ... Plans to major in engineering ... Lived overseas in Qatar with family during his freshman year (2001-02) ... Chose Northwestern over Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Utah and Syracuse.

Omar Conteh (pronounced KON-tuh)
6-0 • 197
Cypress, Texas • Cy-Fair
Projected Position: Running Back

High School: Rated as the country's 45th-best running back by Rivals.com ... Two-time first-team all-district (2003 and '04) and a 2004 second-team all-region running back ... Turned in one of Texas' top single-season performances by rushing for 2,130 yards (268 carries, 7.9 ypc) and 29 touchdowns for the 7-3 Bobcats ... Ran for a career-high 390 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-15 win over Jersey Village ... Two-time team MVP (2003 and '04) ... Team captain ... Also caught nine passes for 138 yards (15.3 ypr) and two touchdowns ... Won district track and field titles in the long and triple jumps his junior year ... Member of school's Honor Roll ... Coached by Ed Pustejovsky.
Personal: Born Omar Tejan Conteh on 4/18/87 ... Son of Harlun Conteh and Ann Dunn ... Plans to major in computer engineering and/or graphics ... Chose Northwestern over Pittsburgh, Houston, TCU and Utah.

Ramon Diaz
6-4 • 275
Morris, Ill. • Morris
Projected Position: Offensive Line

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region lineman ... Ranked 40th by SuperPrep among Midwest (six states) players ... Ranked 21st in Illinois and 56th among offensive guards by Rivals.com ... Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune first-team all-state offensive lineman ... Joliet Herald All-Area first team ... Two-time first-team Suburban Prairie All-Conference selection ... Helped lead Morris to a 13-1 record in 2004 and a Class 5A state runner-up title ... Lead blocker for first-team all-state running back John Dergo, who rushed for 2,140 yards and 41 touchdowns ... Team captain and all-conference selection ... Played receiver first two years at Morris ... Selected to play in Illinois Coaches Association/Shriners' All-Star Game in July, 2005 ... Team captain and starting forward on the Redskins' basketball team ... Also competes in track and field (shot put and discus) ... Coached by Dan Darlington.
Personal: Born Ramon Diaz Jr. on 9/9/86 ... Son of Ramon Sr. and Teresa Diaz ... Plans to major in computer software engineering (applications) ... Chose Northwestern over Notre Dame, Michigan State, Indiana and Tennessee.

Mike Dinard
6-2 • 230
Parma, Ohio • Padua Franciscan
Projected Position: Linebacker

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region linebacker and running back ... Ranked 57th by SuperPrep among Midwest (six states) players and 30th in Ohio ... Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Ohio Division II first team, Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Cuyahoga County first team, All-Northeast Ohio first team, Sun Newspapers first team, North Coast League first team and Northeast Lakes District first team ... Voted team's "Most Outstanding Player" and "Best Offensive Back" ... Totaled 81 tackles, an interception, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2004 ... Rushed for 964 yards (162 carries, 6.0 ypc) and 16 touchdowns as a senior ... Had 956 yards (4.6 ypc) and 11 TDs in 2003 ... Started as a sophomore, but broke his leg in season's second game and did not return that year ... In 2003, helped lead the Bruins to their first playoff appearance in nine years ... Featured student in Cleveland Magazine (September, 2004) ... National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude ... National Merit Commended Student and Who's Who ... Also lettered in basketball and track and field ... Coached by Tom Kohuth.
Personal: Born Michael J. Dinard on 11/20/86 ... Son of Michael and Tracy Dinard ... Chose Northwestern over Boston College, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt and Stanford.

John Gill
6-3 • 285
Los Altos Hills, Calif. • Bellarmine College Prep
Projected Position: Offensive/Defensive Line

High School: 2004 West Catholic Athletic League Offensive Lineman of the Year ... Ranked in SuperPrep's top 100 for California ... First-team All-CCS (San Jose Mercury News) and first-team All-Metro (San Francisco Chronicle) .. First-team All-Northern California selection ... Tabbed the Bay Area's Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against St. Francis ... Played both offensive and defensive line, in addition to long-snapping ... The Bells went 5-4 in 2003 (lost in semifinals of playoffs) and 4-6 in 2004 ... Also competed in track and field (shot put and discus) ... Coached by Mike Janda.
Personal: Born John Singh Gill on 10/28/86 ... Son of Ajit and Ann Gill ... Chose Northwestern over North Carolina State, Michigan State, Oregon and Fresno State.

Adam Hahn (pronounced HAWN)
6-4 • 280
Hartford, Wis. • Hartford Union
Projected Position: Defensive Line

High School: Ranked fifth-best player in Wisconsin and 57th nationally among defensive tackles by SuperPrep ... Rated 10th in Wisconsin state rankings by Rivals.com ... After earning all-state honors at defensive end as a junior, began his senior year as one of the state's top prospects ... Broke his leg in the fourth game of his senior season (2004) and missed the remainder of the year ... Earned Wisconsin Little Ten All-Conference, all-county and all-region honors as a sophomore and junior ... An honorable mention all-state defensive end as a senior ... Helped the Orioles compile a three-year record of 25-7, including 9-2 marks in both 2002 and 2003 ... For career (two-plus seasons), totaled 121 tackles, 19 TFLs, 17 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 recovered fumbles, 8 pass deflections and 33 quarterback hurries ... Also lettered in basketball (two years) and track and field (four years) ... Earned invite to North-South Shrine Bowl ... State qualifier and conference champion in shot put ... NHS and school's High Honor Roll member ... Coached by Dan Brunner.
Personal: Born Adam Michael Hahn on 2/5/87 ... Son of Perry and Barb Hahn ... Chose Northwestern over Indiana.

Chris Jeske (pronounced JESS-kee)
6-0 • 225
Yorkville, Ill. • Joliet Catholic Academy
Projected Position: Linebacker

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region and Rivals.com Top 20 linebacker ... Chicago Sun-Times Illinois Player of the Year ... Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette, Daily Southtown and IHSFCA 5A first-team all-state selection ... Also named Player of the Year by WJOL and the Daily Southtown ... Ranked 13th nationally among inside linebackers by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Named state's Co-Defensive Player of the Year by Illinois Prep Spotlight (Edgytim.com) ... Prep Nation 101 All-American and Old Spice Red Zone All-American teams ... Ranked 19th nationally among inside linebackers by Rivals.com ... Rated No. 12 (Rivals.com) and 19 (SuperPrep) in Illinois player rankings ... East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC) Player of the Year in 2004 and league's 2003 Defensive Player of the Year ... Hard-hitting linebacker who led JCA to three consecutive Illinois Class 5A state championships ... Team was ranked No. 1 in state his senior year ... The Hilltoppers also were ranked nationally in 2004 ... JCA went 41-4 from 2002-04, while winning the school's 10th, 11th and 12th state titles ... In three-plus seasons (played five games as a freshman), totaled 508 tackles (333 solos) and 15 sacks ... Academic all-state honoree ... Two-year team captain ... Coached by Dan Sharp.
Personal: Born Christopher M. Jeske on 7/20/86 ... Son of Mike and Nancy Jeske ... Hails from same high school program as Tampa Bay's Mike Allstott ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin, UCLA, Indiana and Kansas.

Mike Kafka
6-3 • 195
Oak Lawn, Ill. • Chicago St. Rita
Projected Position: Quarterback

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region and Rivals.com Top 25 dual-threat quarterback ... Ranked 50th nationally among all quarterbacks by SuperPrep ... Ranked No. 25 in overall Illinois player rankings by SuperPrep ... Rated 20th in Illinois by Rivals.com and 25th nationally in dual-threat QB ranking ... All-area selection by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Honorable mention all-state selection ... Team Offensive MVP ... Catholic Metro Blue Offensive MVP ... Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Southtown honorable mention all-area honoree ... Academic All-State ... Led Mustangs to three conference championships and a four-year mark of 35-8 ... In 2004, completed 75-of-129 passes for 1,004 yards and 10 touchdowns ... On the ground, ran for 806 yards (144 carries, 5.6 ypc) and 5 TDs ... Totaled 1,816 yards of total offense and 16 TDs ... Had 164 rushing yards and 126 passing yards vs. Mt. Carmel ... Captain of St. Rita's football and baseball teams ... School's Silver Honor Roll all four years ... Coached by Todd Kuska.
Personal: Born Michael John Kafka on 7/25/87 ... Son of Michael and Sandra Kafka ... Hails from the same program that produced recent NU punter J.J. Standring ... Chose Northwestern over Stanford, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Utah, Illinois and Michigan State.

Keegan Kennedy
6-3 • 250
Jupiter, Fla. • Cardinal Newman
Projected Position: Defensive Line

High School: An all-state, all-area and all-county (Palm Beach Post and Florida Sun-Sentinel) defensive end and fullback at Cardinal Newman in West Palm Beach ... Coaches' MVP Award and team captain ... Helped the Crusaders win back-to-back district championships ... Selected to play in Outback All-Star Game ... Recipient of team's Ultimate Crusader Award ... Named Gatorade Offensive Player of the Year for the team in 2003 ... Began his high school career in Phoenix, Ariz., at Brophy College Prep ... Played at Brophy in 2002, and was the only sophomore on the team ... Earned a letter as a fullback/linebacker ... Lettered in powerlifting as a junior at Cardinal Newman ... State qualifier as a heavyweight powerlifter ... Coached by Sam Budnyk (junior year) and Don Dicus (senior year).
Personal: Born Keegan R. Kennedy on 2/6/87 ... Son of Brien and Resa Kennedy ... Plans to major in communication studies ... Chose Northwestern over UCF, Rutgers and Navy.

Prince Kwateng (pronounced kwa-TENG)
6-2 • 215
Munster, Ind. • Munster
Projected Position: Linebacker

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region ... Ranked 97th among players in the Midwest (six-state region) ... Ranked 15th among all players in Indiana by SuperPrep ... Senior season was cut short after suffering an injury in the Mustangs' second game ... 2004 preseason all-area linebacker ... Registered 12 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble prior to the season-ending injury ... Also had nearly 400 rushing yards and 7 TDs in those two games ... Savored a stellar junior year, which included 721 rushing yards (6.0 ypc) and 14 TDs on offense and 30 tackles ... Also lettered in track and field ... Placed second in a weightlifting contest ... Recipient of team's "Pride, Hustle, Desire" Award ... School's Honor Roll ... Coached by Leroy Marsh.
Personal: Born Prince A. Kwateng on 11/19/86 ... Son of Anthony and Mary Kwateng ... Chose Northwestern over Indiana and Northern Illinois.

Kurt Mattes (pronounced MATT-us)
6-6 • 275
Larksville, Pa. • Wyoming Valley West
Projected Position: Offensive Line

High School: SuperPrep All-Northeast Region lineman ... Ranked 29th among Pennsylvania players and 53rd nationally among offensive tackles by Rivals.com ... Ranked 25th nationally among offensive guards by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Pennsylvania Football News first-team all-state selection ... Class AAAA all-state selection ... WNEP-TV Super 16 Dream Team member ... Three-time all-conference selection (2002-04) ... Led the Spartans to a 9-2 record and a district championship in 2004 ... Graded out at 85 percent his senior year with 45 pancake blocks ... Defensively, totaled 50 tackles, 10 TFLs and 5 sacks as a tackle ... Finished career with 85 tackles, 20 TFLs and 10 sacks ... Also had four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... Caught 18 passes for 300 yards and three TDs in career ... Also lettered as a center on the Spartans' basketball team ... Class president for two years, NHS and National Merit Commended Student ... Coached by Ed Michaels.
Personal: Born Kurt C. Mattes on 11/17/86 ... Son of David and Debbie Mattes ... His father, David, played basketball at East Stroudsburg and a cousin, John Paluck, played football at Pittsburgh and with the NFL's Washington Redskins ... Brother, Brian, currently plays football at Notre Dame and will be a third-year offensive tackle in 2005 ... Chose Northwestern over Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Connecticut.

Eric Peterman
6-1 • 200
Sherman, Ill. • Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin
Projected Position: Quarterback

High School: SuperPrep All-Midwest Region and Rivals.com Top 25 dual-threat quarterback ... Ranked 48th nationally among all quarterbacks by SuperPrep ... Ranked No. 24 in overall Illinois player rankings by SuperPrep ... Rated 18th in Illinois by Rivals.com and 22nd nationally in dual-threat QB ranking ... All-area selection by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Chicago Tribune second-team all-state selection ... ... Named state's Co-Offensive Player of the Year by Illinois Prep Spotlight (Edgytim.com) (shared the award with Iowa-bound quarterback Jake Christensen) ... In both 2003 and '04, named IHSCA all-state, Springfield State Journal-Register all-region, Central State Eight Player of the Year and Academic All-State ... Illinois "Tremendous 26" player ... Two-time Player of the Week in 2004 and Athlete of the Month ... Holds the top two single-season marks for total offense (3,250 yards in 2003 and 2,727 yards in 2004) at one of state's top football programs ... Ranks second on the Cyclones' career passing yardage chart (3,842 yards) ... Tallied a school-record 347 points and 7,303 yards of total offense for career ... Led the Cyclones to a four-year mark of 39-2 ... Selected to play in Illinois Coaches Association/Shriners' All-Star Game in July, 2005 ... Selected to play in Illinois Coaches Association/Shriners' All-Star Game in July, 2005 ... Captain of football and basketball teams ... Point guard for Cyclones' hoops squad ... Also ran track one year ... NHS and High Honor Roll ... Coached by Ken Leonard.
Personal: Born Eric Michael Peterman on 11/18/86 ... Son of Cindy Haire and Mike Peterman ... Plans to major in engineering ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin and Indiana.

Brendan Smith
6-1 • 215
Andover, Mass. • New Hampton Prep (N.H.)
Projected Position: Defensive Back

High School: 2004 New England Prep School (Class A) Player of the Year ... 2004 Gatorade New Hampshire Player of the Year ... Three-time All-New England Prep School football team ... 2004 Boston Globe Prep School Class A Most Valuable Player ... Played quarterback and safety ... For career, totaled 4,073 passing yards, 39 TDs and 10 interceptions ... Rushed for 3,013 yards and 28 TDs ... Scored 74 career touchdowns, which includes four interception returns and three punt returns ... Defensively, totaled 113 tackles, 16 TFLs, 9 sacks, 6 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries ... Helped the Huskies compile a 24-2 three-year record which included perfect 8-0 marks in 2002 and 2004 when New Hampton won the Prep School Super Bowl ... In the 2004 title game, threw for 285 yards and rushed for 95 yards ... Totaled a career-high six touchdowns vs. Rutland H.S., scoring a TD in four different ways--punt return (72 yards), interception return (42 yards), rushing (43, 27 and 71 yards) and passing (37 yards) ... Also lettered in lacrosse and basketball ... Member of Honor Roll ... Coached by David Perfield.
Personal: Born Brendan Christopher Smith on 9/24/85 ... Son of Brendan and Colleen Smith ... Father, Brendan, played football at Miami (Fla.), and brother, Sean, played at Division II Bentley College ...Plans to major in communication studies ... Chose Northwestern over Connecticut, Clemson and Indiana.

Tyrell Sutton (pronounced ty-RELL)
5-9 • 190
Akron, Ohio • Archbishop Hoban
Projected Position: Running Back

High School: Ohio's 2004 Mr. Football winner (joining current NU cornerback Jeff Backes, Ohio's 2000 Mr. Football) ... Two-time Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year ... Two-time first-team all-state selection ... 2004 Cleveland Plain Dealer Player of the Year ... 2004 FOX 8 Player of the Year ... SuperPrep All-Midwest Region and Rivals.com Top 50 running back ... Ranked 32nd among players in the Midwest (six-state region) ... Ranked 16th among all players in Ohio by SuperPrep ... Rated 32nd in Ohio by Rivals.com and 41st nationally in running back ranking ... Ranked 20th nationally among running backs by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Four-time Beacon Journal all-star ... Second-team all-state selection in 2002 and honorable mention all-state in 2001 ... 2004 Dapper Dan Sports Person of the Year ... 2004 ONN Player of the Year ... 2004 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Outstanding High School Athlete finalist ... 2004 Team and Offensive MVP ... During his four-year career at Hoban, rushed for an Ohio-record 9,426 yards ... Broke the state rushing record in game vs. Canton Central Catholic ... Rushed for 400-plus yards vs. Warren Harding ... Scored 117 career TDs ... Ran for a career-best 3,241 yards and scored 38 touchdowns in 2004 ... Totaled 38 consecutive 100-yard games (Nov. 2001 through Nov. 2004) ... Ran for 100 or more yards in 44-of-49 games ... Scored 702 career points ... Rushed for a career-high 505 yards (third most in Ohio history) and scored eight rushing touchdowns (equaling Ohio's state mark) vs. Youngstown Ursuline ... Helped the Knights go 40-9 during his four years and advance to the state playoffs each year ... Broke school rushing record three consecutive seasons ... Playing in the Big 33 and North-South All-Star games ... Honor Roll ... Coached by Ralph Orsini.
Personal: Born Tyrell DelShawn Sutton on 12/19/86 ... Son of Connie Sutton and Anthony Sutton Sr. ... Brother, Tony, starred at Division III College of Wooster (Ohio) and played in the Hula Bowl Maui All-Star game in January, 2005 ... Chose Northwestern over Illinois.

Desmond Taylor
6-3 • 260
Los Angeles, Calif. • Loyola
Projected Position: Defensive Line

High School: Two-time first-team All-Serra League offensive and defensive tackle ... Team's Co-Lineman of the Year ... Notched 45 tackles, 12 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 interception in 2004 ... Totaled 41 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 sacks in 2003 ... Notched seven tackles (including four TFLs), one sack adn one fumble recovery vs. Hart High ... Helped the Cubs win conference titles in 2003 and 2004 ... Team earned the CIF Division I championship in 2003 for California's Southern Section ... Coached by Steve Grady.
Personal: Born Desmond Maurice Taylor on 4/7/87 ... Son of Maurice and Michelle Taylor ... Chose Northwestern over UNLV and San Jose State.

Rasheed Ward
5-10 • 165
Chicago, Ill. • Chicago Harper
Projected Position: Wide Receiver

High School: 2004 Chicago Tribune second-team all-state wide receiver ... SuperPrep All-Midwest Region ... Ranked 93rd in Midwest Region (six-state area) ... Ranked 27th among Illinois players by Rivals.com ... Two-time all-conference selection and 2004 team MVP ... 2004 all-city selection ... Rang up 1,114 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 2004 ... Finished career with 2,866 receiving yards and 44 touchdowns ... Led the Cardinals to an 11-4 record in 2004 and second place in the city championship ... Also played cornerback for Harper ... NHS and Harper Honor Roll ... Coached by Terry Lewis.
Personal: Born Rasheed Ward on 8/20/87 ... Son of Albert and Yvonne Ward ... Chose Northwestern over Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois.

Corey Wootton
6-6 • 240
Rutherford, N.J. • Don Bosco Prep
Projected Position: Defensive Line

High School: Ranked 62nd nationally among offensive tackles by Rivals.com ... 29th-ranked player overall in New Jersey by Rivals.com ... An all-state, all-county and all-league selection ... Played tight end and defensive end for the Ironmen ... Caught eight passes for 152 yards his senior year ... Totaled 62 tackles, 5 sacks and 1 defensive touchdown in 2004 ... One of best games came against Bergen Catholic, when he recorded nine tackles, two pass deflections and a tip that led to an interception ... Helped lead his prep team to two state championships ... The Ironmen went unbeaten both years ... Rated the No. 1 team in the Tri-State region by Mike Quick of MSG ... Team ranked No. 2 in 2003 USA Today national poll and No. 15 in 2004 USA Today poll ... Coached by Greg Toal.
Personal: Born Corey A. Wootton on 6/22/87 ... Son of Larry and Lori Wootton ... Chose Northwestern over Boston College, North Carolina State, Louisville and Connecticut.