DiNardo faces challenges with new recruit class

Football coach Gerry DiNardo recruited some big names at LSU. \nQuarterback Rohan Davey, wide receiver Josh Reed and linebacker Trev Faulk were talented football players who helped LSU claim Sugar Bowl and SEC championship game victories this past season. Every member of the trio should be dressing Sundays next fall, and they all signed their letters-of-intent during DiNardo's tenure.\nWhile DiNardo and his staff had a reputation of luring top talent to Baton Rouge, recruiting analysts warn that attracting similar players to Bloomington will be challenging.\n"He faces a much different situation," Super Prep magazine publisher Allen Wallace said. "Louisiana is loaded. Indiana is a state with little talent."\nOf DiNardo's five full recruiting classes at LSU, four ranked in Super Prep's Top 11. In 1998 and 1999, DiNardo's classes peaked at No. 9. DiNardo secured enough top recruits his last few seasons to stockpile a team that finished in the top ten in both major polls under second-year coach Nick Saban.\nAt LSU, DiNardo rarely had to leave the state borders to find NCAA Division I prospects. His final recruiting class in 1999 featured 24 players, including 18 from Louisiana. A year earlier,19 of the Tigers' 23 signees were in-state recruits.\nWhen DiNardo was introduced as IU's head coach last week, he suggested he would implement a similar strategy.\n"The philosophy of our program is that we recruit every day," he said. "There is not a day that we don't recruit."\nDiNardo also said that he would eventually visit every high school in Indiana, including the ones without any prospects.\n"Recruiting is important," he said, "but within our state boundaries, we have an obligation as the state institution to service the high schools. I take that seriously, and I will do that."\nBill Kurelic, an Midwest recruiting analyst for www.rivals.com, said most of this year's top recruits from Indiana have made verbal commitments to other schools.\nAs of Tuesday, IU had received verbal commitments from six players. Defensive end Bo Greer (Princeton Community High School) is the Hoosiers' lone in-state recruit. Greer made his commitment to IU before the start of the 2001 season.\nBesides Greer, IU's current list of verbal commitments includes running back Sean Miller (Solon, Ohio), wide receiver Jerohn Fields (Chicago, Ill.), wide receiver Steve Gunter (Warrensville Heights, Ohio), offensive lineman Steve Hines (Vandalia, Ohio) and tight end/defensive end Kenny Kendal (Chicago, Ill.). Miller, Fields, Gunter and Hines made their commitments before Cam Cameron was fired in December. \nKendal committed earlier this week, and he's the first verbal commitment IU has received since DiNardo was named coach Jan. 8.\n"DiNardo got off to a good start by landing Kenny Kendal," Kurelic said.\nEvery other team in the Big Ten has received at least nine verbal commitments. Some schools, such as Illinois, Michigan and Ohio State, are close to filling their classes. \nIllinois has done the best job of recruiting from Indiana so far. The Fighting Illini's class includes four prospects who played prep football in the state. Purdue has received two commitments from in-state products.\nNational signing day is Feb. 6, and no Big Ten coach has more work in front of him than DiNardo, who will likely be the Big Ten's only first-year coach in 2002. IU has 25 scholarships to offer, and it won't be surprising if DiNardo is recruiting well beyond signing day.\n"For a long period, there was no coach," Wallace said. "He has to come from way behind."\nDiNardo's first class at LSU in 1995 was ranked No. 35 by Super Prep, but he became coach there in December. That gave him a month longer that he has this year at IU. \nIn the competitive world of college recruiting, an additional month to finalize a staff and evaluate prospects can make a huge difference.\n"Getting a late start is a difficult situation because many players are locked-up somewhere else," Kurelic said. "With that said, he's going to find some players who slipped through the cracks and turn out to be better college players."\nIU is not in serious contention to land any Top 100 prospects, so this year's recruiting class won't be filled with blue-chippers. \n"Whatever class (DiNardo) puts together this year should not be a basis of how he's judged," Wallace said. "It's what he does in the following years that's real important"