ESPN College Football

Slap yourselves, Spartans fans: John L. Smith is expected to become the new interim head coach at Arkansas.

Colleague Joe Schad reports that Smith, fired from Michigan State in November 2006, will be introduced Tuesday in Fayetteville as the surprising choice to take over for Bobby Petrino with the Razorbacks. He agreed to a 10-month contract with Arkansas, where he served as special-teams coach the past three seasons before leaving for the top job at Weber State. Coincidentally, Petrino succeeded Smith at Louisville after Smith left for the Michigan State job. The circumstances are very different now, but still notable.

Former Ohio State assistant Taver Johnson had been serving as Arkansas' head coach since Petrino's firing earlier this month.

Smith went 22-26 at Michigan State. He won Big Ten Coach of the Year honors during his first season in 2003, but he oversaw midseason collapses in both 2005 and 2006 that sealed his fate at the school. His most memorable moments: slapping himself in a news conference after a loss to Illinois and a halftime meltdown at Ohio State, when Smith famously told ABC's Jack Arute, "The kids are playing their tails off, and the coaches are screwing it up!"

Smith remains one of the more colorful characters in coaching. I'll never forget seeing him playfully shove the Lansing State Journal's Joe Rexrode after a win at Notre Dame. He also has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, has run with the bulls in Spain and has skydived over Indiana.

I'm guessing Michigan State fans, thrilled with their current coach Mark Dantonio, had a few laughs today when they heard about the John L. news.

How do you think he'll fare in Fayetteville? He inherits an extremely good team.

Who knows? Maybe we'll see Michigan State and Arkansas matched up in a BCS bowl game this year. That'd be fun.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Paul Haynes and Taver Johnson were among the coaches entrusted to guide Ohio State through a storm 2011.

The last thing the two men could have expected at their next coaching stop was another tempest. And, in many ways, a more damaging one.

Haynes and Johnson are part of an Arkansas staff left to pick up the pieces from the Bobby Petrino scandal. Johnson, the Razorbacks' assistant head coach/linebackers coach, is in charge until a head coach is named, while Haynes serves as the Hogs' defensive coordinator after leaving Ohio State in December. Johnson had a chance to remain with Ohio State but left to join Hayes in Fayetteville.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, who served as the Buckeyes' head coach last season after Jim Tressel's departure, has been in touch with Haynes since the Petrino scandal broke.

"A very, very difficult situation," Fickell told ESPN.com on Thursday. "Different in a lot of ways, but similar in some ways, too. Everybody learned from last year, whether they were an administrator here, whether they were an intern, a defensive coordinator or a head coach, you learn a lot of different things, and it's going to help them in the long run."

Fickell and Haynes are close friends and remain in regular contact, as do their wives. Fickell hasn't spoken as often with Johnson, but he's confident the two men don't need his advice despite another difficult situation.

"Hell, they were here, they know what happened," Fickell said. "Now if the situation [at Arkansas] stays the way it is, before they start a season, I'm sure just like I had, they'll have an opportunity to communicate with some different people and pick some brains. Right now, they're probably just trying to keep the whole ship afloat."

Through some very choppy waters.

You're still here! You didn't go to the store for milk and heroin and then never come back.

• Thanks to Bobby Petrino's troubles, former Ohio State assistant Taver Johnson is now serving as Arkansas' head coach.
• Penn State's Silas Redd has looked impressive at spring practice. Lions center Matt Stankiewitch discusses the new strength program and other topics in this Q&A.
• Michigan is experimenting with Devin Gardner at receiver, but Gardner remains primarily the team's backup quarterback. Former Michigan star LaMarr Woodley thinks Denard Robinson will be a good NFL wide receiver.
• Minnesota's walking wounded are excited to get back on the field for spring ball. Gophers quarterback MarQueis Gray, part of the search committee for a new athletic director, wants the new AD to be accessible to athletes.
• Ohio State receiver Chris Fields denies rumors he quit the team. After being suspended for the Gator Bowl, Buckeyes receiver T.Y. Williams has looked good in spring practice.
• The NCAA should do the right thing and grant Michigan State's DeAnthony Arnett his waiver. Spartans running back Le'Veon Bell needed some extra motivation this spring.
• The middle Watt brother (Derek) is making his own impression at Wisconsin.
• Nebraska's Rex Burkhead is fine-tuning his game. Eric Martin could give the Huskers' defensive line a big boost.
• Northwestern's secondary goes by a new nickname: the Sky Team.
• Purdue quarterback Rob Henry stays busy off of the field.
• Indiana's strength coach has started the rebuilding process (subscription required).
• New Illinois coach Tim Beckman is on the lookout for playmakers. Illini quarterbacks Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole are splitting reps with the top offense.
• Iowa picks up its first recruit for the 2013 class. Despite recent attrition, Iowa's RBs aren't shying away from contact this spring.

Urban Meyer hasn't coached a game yet at Ohio State, but his impact on the Big Ten has already been massive.

Though he was only hired in late November, Meyer managed to put together an impressive first recruiting class that ESPN ranked as the sixth-best in the country. Several players in the class were at one time committed to other league schools. The Buckeyes put together one of the best groups of defensive linemen in the country as well.

I caught up with Meyer on Thursday morning to talk about the class, whether there's such a thing as a "gentleman's agreement" in recruiting, and how he expects his recruits to see the field right away.

Did you expect to sign a class this highly rated, given how little time you had to put it all together?


Urban Meyer: I think it exceeded expectations a little, especially on the D-line. If you had told me in December that we would get those four defensive linemen in this class and the two offensive tackles ... that's what separated this class I think, from being pretty good to being really good.

The class is heavy on the defensive and offensive lines. How much of that was need-based and how much of was just that's what you need to build a foundation?

UM: I think anytime you get a premiere guy like Noah Spence, he knows that we need him. That's the way it is nowadays. Kids want to go somewhere where there's a need. The same with the two offensive tackles, Taylor Decker and Kyle Dodson. We just don't have those body types right now in our program, and they know that. We made that real clear. Their opportunity to play is going to be real quick here.

How did you go about evaluating what you needed in recruiting when you hadn't seen the players on the current roster much in person?


UM: Well, that's where Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel and Stan Drayton and when Taver Johnson was here, they were the ones [who helped]. Then when I went out to watch practice, I just walked out on the practice field and just kind of watched for a second, and I could tell our offensive line didn't look the way we needed them to look. I could tell we were short on pass-rushers off the edge. And then linebackers. So those are the three areas that we had to get just to be functional. So we attacked it as hard as we could and it all came together.

What do you like about the three big defensive linemen in this class -- Noah Spence, Adolphus Washington and Se'Vonn Pittman?


UM: Well, number one is they're competitors. They're very high-character guys. To have three guys like that with high character who are very good people, I hate to say that's hard to come across, but it is. And they're all different body types. You've got Noah Spence, who's the pure speed guy coming off the edge, relentless effort. Then you've got Adolphus Washington, who's very thick, lower body and more power. And then you've got Se'Von Pittman, who's a little bit of both. So they all complement each other.

In your experience, and understanding every player is different, how long does it take players with that talent level to make an impact on the field?


UM: We're going to rotate them right away. We don't redshirt here at Ohio State. We're changing that up. We're going to have the culture out here that there's no redshirting. If you don't play here, it's because you're not good enough. It's not because we're holding you back. We're going to recruit the kind of player where we want them on the field right now. That's the approach we took at Florida, and it's the approach we're going to take here.

Is the same thing true with offensive linemen? People say that's the position where it takes guys longer to develop.


UM: Well, Maurkice Pouncey jumped right into it [at Florida], started every game, and in three years he went to the NFL. So if you're recruiting, you lay it out there for them. Usually, linemen take a little longer, but we've played with some young players before.

You mentioned Wednesday that you're not happy with the speed at the offensive skill positions. You're not necessarily done with this class, but was that just not out there for you this year, or is it more of a priority going forward?


UM: Yeah, we're not happy where we're at with our speed and skill on offense. I don't know what we have. I saw on film and looked at the stats, and you would say from statistical analysis and just evaluation that we're not very good at all. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and see what happens in spring practice and evaluate them in the offseason, which starts Monday. But we're not where we need to be, by a long shot.

When you learned about the bowl ban, was there a time when you thought this class wouldn't come together nearly as well as it did?


UM: Oh yeah. Devastated. I would say, panic button in December. Absolutely.

What does it tell you about the players who decided to sign with you anyway?


UM: It tells you about the power of this program, too. I mean, Ohio State is Ohio State. It's the most powerful alumni base in the country. It's one of the great stadiums in the history of college football. A great tradition and a great city. So there are so many strengths about it that obviously overcame the negative hit we took.

Is recruiting in the Midwest and primarily vs. Big Ten schools different than recruiting in the SEC? The SEC has a reputation of being more ruthless.


UM: A little bit, but it's hard for me to articulate that. It was a little bit different, but there is still a lot of intense recruiting that goes on up north, as well.

There were a couple of coaches who criticized you for recruiting players who had committed to their schools. I liked the way you answered that question on Wednesday. Is there ever such a thing as a gentleman's agreement in recruiting, or is that a phony thing?


UM: Actually, Will Muschamp and I talked about that, about if a guy is previously committed. Up here, I was hired, and we covered our state and said to players, "Would you be interested?" We had one or two that said they would be interested, and others recruited us. Se'Von Pittman and Taylor Decker came after us.

Coming in as a new head coach at a program, would you even be doing your job if you didn't check in on those recruits?


UM: You've got a responsibility to your home state. Absolutely. There's not a coach in America who's not going to do that, not going to check his own state. You take a job, you're going to check your in-state players to see if they're interested. And if they are, then come on now, let's talk about it. And if they're not ... The young man up at St. Edward [offensive lineman Kyle Kalis, who signed with Michigan] we asked. He said, "I'm solid, I'm good." We said, "Good luck," and we moved on. I didn't call him again.

Could you get a sense of how much just having a coach in place and some stability at Ohio State, as well as your background, helped recruits change their mind?


UM: I think any time there's instability, that causes anxiety for a recruit. So I know with Se'Von Pittman, his comment to me was, "I always wanted to be a Buckeye. I just wanted it to be stable."

There are going to be lingering questions about your health, energy level, etc. Recruiting takes a lot of energy and time. How did you feel out there recruiting again, with all the time and travel it required?


UM: Oh, it was great. Great. No issue at all.

Jamal Marcus was a signing-day addition for you, and you talked about how he blew you away on tape. You really didn't know anything about him before that?

UM: That was one of those Christmas presents I unwrapped when they showed me the highlight video. I mean, he's as good as I've seen on a highlight video. Then you meet the kid and he's a beautiful kid, great family. Everett Withers identified him and brought him up. It's almost a shame to say this, but the first time I shook his hand and even talked to him was when he got on campus. And he blew us away.

He's been listed some places as a linebacker, others as a defensive end ...


UM: Oh, he's a linebacker. Linebacker all the way.

What are the priorities now for you over the next month or so before spring practice begins?


UM: We have a bunch of new coaches, a completely new offensive scheme. So the next month, the priority is to get around our players, get to know them with the new coaches. And No. 2 is to install an offense and defense, and make sure everybody is on the same page, so when we hit March we're up and running.

I talked with offensive coordinator Tom Herman recently, and he said he'd be blending the offense with your philosophies. How is that going on right now?


UM: That's all we're doing. I've hired some very good coaches, very successful coaches. We have a system I have great belief in, but I use the term enhance. If we can enhance our system, we will. And so far we have. It's going very well.

What kind of reports have you gotten from strength coach Mickey Marotti on how offseason workouts are going?


UM: Good. But we haven't really hit it hard yet. We've been kind of introduced to our offseason program. I meet with Mickey nonstop. Constant evaluation. But so far, it's mostly just been indoctrination. On Monday, it starts for real.

How much help has Luke Fickell been in this entire transition process?


UM: Well, there's no agenda with him. He has a true passion and love for Ohio State, and he's a very quality football coach and family man. It's a perfect fit, and his stability and relationships really helped us.

How much are you working on the 2013 class right now?


UM: Oh, we're killing it. We're all over it.

The Big Ten had three head-coaching changes in recent weeks, and new leading men have stepped in at Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State. We will be sharing our thoughts on the three new coaching staffs as they become complete. We already looked at Illinois' new staff, and Ohio State is next up on the rundown.

Here's the new Ohio State staff:

Urban Meyer -- head coach
Everett Withers -- assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/safeties
Luke Fickell -- defensive coordinator/linebackers
Tom Herman -- offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Ed Warinner -- co-offensive coordinator/offensive line
Stan Drayton -- running backs
Tim Hinton -- tight ends
Zach Smith -- wide receivers
Mike Vrabel -- defensive line
Bill Sheridan -- defensive backs

So Today's Take Two topic is: How did Meyer fare in putting together his staff at Ohio State?

Take 1: Adam Rittenberg

Meyer set the bar high at his introductory news conference in November, saying he planned to "try to assemble the best coaching staff in college football." While I expected a little more star power in Meyer's hires, I like the cross-section of coaches joining Meyer in Columbus. He ended up retaining three assistants -- Fickell, Vrabel and Drayton -- and would have kept a fourth had Taver Johnson not left for a co-defensive coordinator spot at Arkansas. That number surprises me a bit, although keeping Fickell is huge, particularly from a recruiting standpoint. Withers is a veteran defensive coach who can take over the coordinator duties if and when Fickell leaves for a head-coaching position. Warinner seems like an excellent addition, and Meyer is close with Hinton, who also comes over from Notre Dame. The most intriguing hire by far is Herman, considered a rising star in the profession. Will he and Meyer revitalize the Ohio State offense? The unit certainly needs a shake-up, and it'll be interesting to see how Herman fares in a big-time, high-pressure job. This isn't Iowa State. The other big hire not on this list is strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, who Meyer brought from Florida. Overall, this might not be a star-studded staff, but it's a very solid one.

Take 2: Brian Bennett

Several members of Meyer's staff at Florida went on to become head coaches. His first Ohio State staff included two guys who have already been head coaches, if only for one season each, in Fickell and Withers. They bring some real star power to the defensive side, and the only concern there is how two men who called all the shots themselves last year will react to working as co-coordinators. They'll have to check their egos at the door, but I think their respect for Meyer will allow them to do that. Vrabel moving to defensive line is interesting, and he'll have a wealth of talent to work with in returning guys like John Simon and Jonathan Hankins and the blue-chip recruits that are coming in, led by Noah Spence. Sheridan also brings a wealth of experience, including time as an NFL defensive coordinator. I agree with Adam that Herman is the wild card of the bunch. Meyer identified an up-and-comer rather than shooting for an established name, and Herman will be working with a higher caliber of athlete while also trying to blend his philosophy with the offensive-minded head coach. Best staff in America? Probably not, though that's a highly subjective description anyway. The important thing is that Meyer found a solid blend of veterans and young guns, program insiders and those with outside perspectives. This staff should help the Buckeyes emerge as a national powerhouse again in the very near future.

Urban Meyer's first coaching staff at Ohio State is complete, and the final hire has strong Michigan ties.

Veteran assistant Bill Sheridan has been tapped to become Meyer's defensive backs coach, according to reports. He replaces Taver Johnson, who left to go to Arkansas.

Sheridan has coached linebackers for the Miami Doplphins the past two years and was the New York Giants defensive coordinator in 2009.

The 53-year-old's last college coaching gig was at Michigan, where he served as linebackers and defensive line coach as well as recruiting coordinator for the Wolverines. His son, Nick, played quarterback for former coach Rich Rodriguez.

Sheridan has also coached at Notre Dame, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Army and Maine during his career.

Urban Meyer's approach to discipline will be closely monitored at Ohio State after off-field problems piled up under his watch at Florida.

Meyer's first actions took place Sunday as the team confirmed he dismissed defensive backs Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell.

Clarke, a backup cornerback who started three games last season, has had several legal issues in recent months. He was charged with misdemeanor operating while intoxicated and two other misdemeanors following a Jan. 7 traffic stop. He was arrested Oct. 9 for allegedly discharging a BB gun at an on-campus restaurant, which resulted in a one game suspension. Clarke had been ticketed for speeding near campus.

In other words, he had plenty of chances and kept squandering them.

Gambrell, a freshman, was dismissed for an unspecified violation of team rules.

In other Ohio State news, cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson is leaving to become co-defensive coordinator at Arkansas alongside former Buckeyes colleague Paul Haynes. Johnson's departure leaves Meyer one staff vacancy to fill.

Ohio State has officially announced the hiring of Everett Withers as co-defensive coordinator, and Urban Meyer will also keep first-year linebackers coach Mike Vrabel on staff.

Vrabel joined the Buckeyes this summer after a 14-year standout career in the NFL.

“I had heard such great things about Mike Vrabel as a player, but the key thing for me was I wanted to talk football with him,” Meyer said in a release from the school. “I wanted to see him recruit, and I wanted to meet his family. I have since spent a lot of time with him, and he has a wonderful family.

“I also spoke to a number of people I know well, who also know Mike very well, including Bill Belichick. Coach Belichick and I had a really good discussion about Mike. While Mike is young, we both agreed that the unique experiences he has had as a player, coupled with the things he has already accomplished as a coach and recruiter for Ohio State, has prepared Mike for this opportunity. I am very pleased he will be on the staff.”

Meyer has now filled six positions on his first Ohio State staff. Taver Johnson joins Luke Fickell and Vrabel as holdovers on the defensive side, while receivers coach Stan Drayton will stay on to coach the running backs under Meyer. Tom Herman came over from Iowa State to work as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer met with a small group of reporters today in Columbus. Some highlights from what Meyer had to say:

• Meyer said current assistant coaches Stan Drayton and Taver Johnson will remain on the staff, along with Luke Fickell. He hasn't yet decided on linebackers coach Mike Vrabel. Meyer said he would announce his full staff on Jan. 3, one day after the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
• Meyer said he didn't understand some of the consternation about Ohio State being granted a waiver so it could have extra coaches on staff during the transition. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon was among those who voiced his displeasure about it. Meyer said he received the same waiver when he was hired at Florida.
• The Buckeyes will run Meyer's spread offense, but it won't just be a spread. Meyer said attacking the perimeter of a defense is key, but that's not all you have to do in the Big Ten. "Ohio State's still Ohio State," he said. "We're going to turn around and smack (people) ... That will be a part of who we are, probably more than we've done, because of who we have." Meyer said he would incorporate the I-formation in his offense and that he likes new offensive coordinator Tom Herman because Herman is open to ideas instead of married to his own system.
• Meyer has told recruits not to expect heavy sanctions from the NCAA, which could issue its ruling on the Ohio State infractions case sometime this week. Though Meyer doesn't know for sure what's coming down, he said he has spoken to friends in the NCAA and feels secure that there won't be a bowl ban or other heavy penalties. Meyer said he would work to prevent future rules violations. "If you see something that doesn't look right, you go like a torpedo and go blow the whole thing up and then go put it back together," he said. "We had that approach in Florida."
• Meyer doesn't plan to go to Jacksonville to watch the Gator Bowl. He said he might not even watch it on TV because he is so close to both Florida and Ohio State.

Luke Fickell will make Ohio State's defensive calls beginning in 2012 and have coordinator in his title as he joins Urban Meyer's staff.

"Luke Fickell will have the [coordinator] title," Meyer told WBNS radio in Columbus in a short interview Tuesday. "It might be co, it might not, but at the end of the day, he'll be calling the defense."

Meyer said at his introductory news conference that Fickell would have a significant title on his staff but didn't specify what it would be. Meyer has spoken with former Arizona head coach Mike Stoops about a position, but Tuesday's announcement likely means Stoops will end up elsewhere.

Fickell held the title of co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State until being moved into the interim head coach role following Jim Tressel's resignation on Memorial Day. He'll continue as Buckeyes head coach through the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl on Jan. 2. The 2012 season will give Fickell a chance to showcase his play-calling ability, as Jim Heacock has served as Ohio State's primary defensive coordinator since 2005.

Why would Fickell's title be co-defensive coordinator? Because North Carolina interim coach Everett Withers could soon be joining Meyer's staff. Meyer told WBNS radio that Withers is "in the picture" at Ohio State but nothing is official yet. Withers, who will depart North Carolina after the Independence Bowl, has served as defensive coordinator at North Carolina, Minnesota and Louisville, among other stops. Don't be surprised if he joins Ohio State's staff in a co-defensive coordinator role.

The only two assistants officially named to Meyer's staff are Fickell and Tom Herman, who comes over from Iowa State to serve as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Current assistants Stan Drayton and Taver Johnson are expected to remain on Meyer's staff.

Tuesday's news could be good for Nebraska and Iowa, two teams looking for defensive coordinators. Stoops is a good fit at both spots as he has a close relationship with Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and played safety at Iowa. Then again, Stoops is a very coveted coach who would like to lead a program again in the near future.

Urban Meyer didn't hold back at his introductory news conference Monday at Ohio State.

"I'm going to go about and try to assemble the best coaching staff in college football," Meyer said.

Ohio State is supporting its new coach on the endeavor.

So how is the process going? Let's take a look at what we know and what could be happening soon with Meyer's staff at Ohio State.

• Current Buckeyes head coach Luke Fickell is the only assistant Ohio State has officially confirmed to be joining Meyer's staff. Meyer didn't specify Fickell's role but said it would be "a significant title and significant position." It's a strong possibility Fickell's title includes assistant head coach. He also could be named a co-defensive coordinator, the role he shared with Jim Heacock on Jim Tressel's staff.
• While Fickell could be a candidate for the sole defensive coordinator role, Meyer is assessing candidates and could lure in a big fish in Mike Stoops, the former Arizona head coach. Stoops confirmed he has met with Meyer but didn't say whether he has been offered a position. No one will be surprised if Stoops is named Ohio State's next defensive coordinator, a position he held at Oklahoma for five years under his brother, Bob. Stoops would be a big-name addition for Meyer, who likely will add several.
• Multiple outlets are reporting that Meyer will retain Stan Drayton, in his first year as Ohio State's receivers coach. Drayton worked for Meyer at Florida and replaced Darrell Hazell in Columbus. This makes a lot of sense, as Drayton is a strong recruiter with ties to Ohio and to Florida. Drayton also can coach running backs.
• It will be interesting to see where Meyer looks for an offensive coordinator. One name being mentioned quite a bit is LSU offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa, an Ohio native who served as Meyer's offensive line coach at Bowling Green. Studrawa in July replaced Steve Kragthorpe, who had to step down after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
• Other current Buckeyes assistants who could remain on staff include cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel. If Vrabel stays, it will be interesting to see which position Fickell coaches as he used to oversee the linebackers. Defensive line seems a likely spot.
• Former Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster reportedly has been offered a position on Meyer's staff, as well as one at Arizona with new boss Rich Rodriguez. While Brewster didn't work out as a head coach in Minneapolis, he's one of the nation's top recruiters and could help Ohio State on the trail, particularly in Texas. Brewster has coached tight ends most of his career.
• Other potential candidates to join Meyer's staff include Notre Dame running backs coach Tim Hinton and Florida linebackers coach/special-teams coordinator D.J. Durkin and strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey Marotti.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

If you haven't done it already, check out our signing day primer. As part of the story, I was asked to identify several Big Ten recruiting superlatives, including the league's best recruiter.

Former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley owned the title before he left to become New Mexico's head coach, and several Big Ten assistants could lay claim to the designation. Most of Michigan's staff is new to the league, so it's hard to judge their recruiting clout just yet. I settled on Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has landed several top prospects from the Maryland/Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere.

Here's my list of top recruiters for each Big Ten team. Many of you follow recruiting as closely or more closely than I do, so please e-mail me your suggestions and votes and I'll post the responses later in the week.

ILLINOIS

Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell -- Illinois might have lost its pipeline to D.C. with Locksley's departure, but Mitchell continues to get the top players from the Chicago area. The team's recruiting coordinator has brought linebacker Martez Wilson and others to Champaign, and was instrumental in landing 2009 top prospects Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton. The departure of O-line coach Eric Wolford hurts Illinois' recruiting, but co-defensive coordinator Dan Disch does well in Florida.

INDIANA

Wide receivers coach Billy Lynch -- The head coach's son is responsible for nearly half of Indiana's 2009 recruiting class. He recruits locally extremely well and last year brought running back Darius Willis to Bloomington.

IOWA

Offensive line coach Reese Morgan -- Iowa has a tradition of recruiting and developing elite offensive linemen, and Morgan is a big reason why. He recruits the state extremely well and brought in players like Jordan Bernstine and Tyler Sash to go along with seven commitments for 2009. Assistant linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson successfully recruits the surrounding states and has brought players like quarterback Marvin McNutt and Christian Ballard to Iowa City.

MICHIGAN

Quarterbacks coach Rod Smith and wide receivers coach Tony Dews -- As I stated earlier, it's a bit premature to make final determinations on Michigan's staff. Running backs coach Fred Jackson is a holdover and has recruited the Detroit area well in past years. But both Smith and Dews have distinguished themselves on the recruiting trail, luring top 2009 prospects like Tate Forcier, William Campbell and Craig Roh to Ann Arbor.

MICHIGAN STATE

Running backs coach Dan Enos -- The former Spartans quarterback has played an instrumental role in upgrading the program's recruiting, which will play dividends Wednesday with a potentially program-changing class. Enos recruits the Detroit area extremely well and has brought in players like wideout Fred Smith and quarterback Kirk Cousins, as well as 2009 prospects like Edwin Baker, Larry Caper and Dion Sims.

MINNESOTA

Defensive line coach Tim Cross -- The team's associate head coach and lead recruiter played a key role in signing Minnesota's nationally ranked 2008 class, landing players like Troy Stoudermire and Keanon Cooper. Head coach Tim Brewster does much of the heavy lifting in recruiting, but Cross and co-defensive coordinator Ron Lee chip in as well.

NORTHWESTERN

Superbacks coach Adam Cushing -- He coaches a group rarely used in Northwestern's offense, but Cushing's contributions as a recruiter have been invaluable. Cushing serves as the team's recruiting coordinator and landed players like defensive end Vince Browne, safety David Arnold, linebacker Brett Nagel and top 2009 prospect Patrick Ward.

OHIO STATE

Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Luke Fickell -- Several recruiters stand out on Jim Tressel's staff, but Fickell repeatedly lures top prospects from the Cleveland area and far-flung regions like Georgia and Florida. Quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels landed Terrelle Pryor last year, and wide receivers coach Darrell Hazell is a proven recruiter. Cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson is a rising star on the recruiting trail.

PENN STATE

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson -- Johnson gets the nod after bringing in players like Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans, Navorro Bowman and Jared Odrick. No assistant played a bigger role in Penn State's 2009 nationally ranked class than Johnson, who recruited Derrick Thomas and Darrell Givens, among others. No wonder Ron Zook wanted Johnson to join his staff at Illinois.

PURDUE

Defensive line coach Terrell Williams -- This is another mostly new staff to the Big Ten, and coach Danny Hope does much of the recruiting himself, but Williams has proven to be a major asset so far. Williams helped to land half of Purdue's incoming recruiting class, including top running back Al-Terek McBurse. He recruits Florida extremely well, which falls right in line with Hope's approach.

WISCONSIN

Offensive line coach Bob Bostad -- Health issues forced top recruiter Henry Mason away from the program in 2007, and his absence is missed. Head coach Bret Bielema has a strong reputation as a recruiter, and Bostad is doing a solid job early in his tenure. Bostad's fingerprints were all over Wisconsin's 2008 class, as he landed offensive lineman Peter Konz and others. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and defensive coordinator Dave Doeren are also solid recruiters.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

When Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster checked into his hotel Tuesday morning in Shreveport, La., the woman working at the front desk spotted the Golden Gophers logo on his shirt and smiled.

"The coach from Michigan just left," she told him.

Both Minneapolis and Ann Arbor, Mich., are located more than 850 miles from Shreveport, making it an odd place for Brewster and one of his Michigan counterparts to cross paths. But these days, Big Ten coaches are just as likely to bump into one another in Shreveport, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Houston as they are in Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Detroit.

When Purdue head coach Danny Hope called ESPN.com on Wednesday afternoon, he was navigating a road near Bay City, Fla. An hour earlier, Wisconsin defensive line coach Charlie Partridge phoned in from the Fort Lauderdale area.

The Big Ten recruiting range is expanding far beyond the Midwest, and coaches are spending much of their time in the fertile states of the south and southeast.

If one incoming recruit symbolizes the recruiting change in the Big Ten, it's a safety expected to sign Wednesday with Wisconsin.

His name: Dezmen Southward.

His hometown: Fort Lauderdale.

"There's certainly great, great players in the Midwest, but just in terms of numbers, all you have to do is look at Division I signing day and the number of kids who play Division I out of this region here," said Partridge, who has recruited the Florida area for Wisconsin, Pitt and Iowa State, among others. "You can come down and get two to three kids who can have an impact on your program.

"People are recognizing the value of recruiting down here."

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