Both could lay claim to bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation Wednesday as high school prospects across the country signed
According to Joliet, Ill., recruiting analyst Chris Pool of Rivals.com, the national champion Sooners have the top class of incoming freshmen.
``Everyone wants to play for coach Bob Stoops,'' Pool said. ``Oklahoma met all its needs, especially on defense. The Sooners signed the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country, 6-foot-8-inch, 280-pound
``In Oklahoma's glory days, they used to live and die recruiting in Texas. Well, it looks like the Sooners are back again taking top players out of that state.''
SuperPrep recruiting magazine publisher Allen Wallace of Laguna Beach, Calif., said
``This shows you what a remarkable job coach
Names you'll be reading about very soon include 6-2, 235-pound running back Eric Shelton of Lexington, Ky., linebacker
Pool has the Seminoles second with Michigan, Texas, Louisiana State, Tennessee, Washington,
According to Wallace,
Michigan signed four of the nation's top 50, led by top-rated safety Ernest Shazor of Detroit. A local standout, 6-8, 255-pound tight end Kyle Ealey of St. Joseph, is another prize Wolverines recruit.
Pool rated Northwestern as having the fourth-best class in the Big Ten behind Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. He ranked Penn State fifth followed by Illinois,
Northwestern's biggest coup was outrecruiting Ohio State for defensive back/running back Jeff Backes, Mr. Football of Ohio, whose high school is eight miles outside Columbus.
Backes, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards, scored 40 touchdowns, intercepted four passes and has been timed at 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash, said Northwestern was where he felt the most comfortable.
The Wildcats beat out Michigan State, UCLA,
Pool said Illinois started out strong but a number of prospects chose to go elsewhere after the Illini shook up their whole defensive staff.
``According to my rankings, Illinois only got three of the top 10 recruits in this state,'' Pool said. ``You don't see that happening in places like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Texas.
``Look at LSU. Coach Nick Saban, who was a great recruiter at Michigan State, has closed down the border to the other states in the SEC. He kept all the top Louisiana players at home. That's one reason why they have the fifth-best recruiting class in the country.''
Of Pool's top 10 Illinois prospects, the first six made a run for the border. Top-rated Matt Roth, a linebacker from Willowbrook, signed with Iowa. Quarterback Casey Paus of Lincoln-Way is headed to Washington and No. 3 recruit Kevin Noel of Naperville Central will be a receiver at Purdue. Barrington offensive tackle Dan Stevenson signed with Notre Dame while Wheaton Warrenville South cornerback Brett Bell and Naperville Central QB Owen Daniels have signed with Wisconsin.