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Joliet Catholic junior running back Ty Isaac committed to USC on Tuesday, his father said.

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Naperville North junior offensive lineman Colin Goebel has committed to Iowa, according to his high school coach.

Goebel, who is 6-4 and 275 pounds, committed to the Hawkeyes while making a visit to the school on Saturday, according to Naperville North coach Sean Drendel.

“His recruiting process went pretty quick,” Drendel said on Sunday. “He visited a few different schools. He really went out to Iowa and fell in love with [head coach] Kirk Ferentz and [offensive line coach] Brian Ferentz. They were the first big school to offer him.

“He’s a great point-of-attack blocker, who has good feet, very physical, pretty physically mature. I know they’re going to make him an outstanding player.”

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Chicago’s King High School has always been touted for its basketball history.

From Marcus Liberty to Rashard Griffith to Leon Smith to Thomas Hamilton to Jamie Brandon to Imari Sawyer, the list of basketball stars to come through the Chicago South Side school has been plentiful.

King’s football program is a different story. It isn’t nearly as known, but Jeff Allen plans to change that.
Allen, who graduated from King in 2008 and started four years on the offensive line at Illinois, is expected to be selected somewhere in the opening rounds of the NFL draft next week.

“We have had some decent players from our high school program go onto college,” Allen said of King. “We just haven’t had any great players. That would be an honor for me. We’ve had some great players throughout time, but they obviously played basketball. To be included in the same sentence with them would be an honor.”

Always one of the bigger kids growing up, Allen gravitated toward football at an early age. His dreams of the NFL started not too long after he began playing when he was 9 years old.

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The Illinois High School Association board announced Tuesday it will decide at its June meeting between three sites to host the state football finals in odd years beginning in 2013.

The board will chose between bids for the football stadiums at Illinois State, Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois.

The state finals have been held at Memorial Stadium in Champaign since 1999, but the stadium will be required by the Illini football team every other year on the days of the state finals because of a change in the Big Ten’s scheduling.

Sites specifications included having a minimum of 12,000 seats and artificial turf field.

Illinois high school football will be full of senior superstars next season, and that was reflected when ESPN Recruiting announced it top 150 recruits on Tuesday.

Seven Illinois Class of 2013 players were named to the ESPN 150. Illinois hasn’t had more than two players on the list since 2009.

This year’s list is led by Crete-Monee junior wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who is ranked 42nd overall and the No. 5 wide receiver in the class. Treadwell, who was an ESPNChicago.com all-area selection, caught 75 passes for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He’s uncommitted.

Joliet Catholic running back Ty Isaac was second on the list and was ranked No. 68 overall and the No. 6 running back. Isaac was the ESPNChicago.com Offensive Player of the Year. He had 515 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 26 carries in the Class 5A state championship. He’s also uncommitted.

The list also includes Lemont offensive lineman Ethan Pocic (No. 72), Lincoln-Way West offensive lineman and Notre Dame recruit Colin McGovern (No. 91), Peoria Manual offensive lineman and Michigan recruit Logan Tuley-Tillman (No. 97), St. Francis offensive lineman and Michigan recruit Kyle Bosch (No. 112) and Maine South quarterback and Northwestern recruit Matt Alviti (No. 113).

CHICAGO -- Simeon senior offensive tackle Jordan Diamond announced his commitment to Auburn at a press conference on Friday.

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Scott Daly began long snapping out of necessity.

Daly was the only one capable of snapping the ball out of his fifth-grade peers, so he automatically was given the role.

What Daly didn’t know then was his unique skill would become his ticket to a college football scholarship and lead him to sign with Notre Dame, which he will sign with on Wednesday morning.

“I didn’t really think much of it,” Daly said on Tuesday. “I was a baseball player. I thought I would play baseball in college.”

Baseball was Daly’s targeted sport until his sophomore year at Downers Grove South. He had shown a knack for long snapping, and he was encouraged to attend a camp run by long-snapping guru Chris Rubio.

Rubio also noticed Daly’s skill and pulled him aside to tell him so. From there on, Daly devoted himself to the craft.

“He said I had a lot of potential,” Daly said of Rubio. “It really lit a fire under me. I started working my tail off.”

Daly quickly learned what it took become an elite long snapper. He had to spend six days a week snapping 40-50 balls. He needed to lift weights to build muscle. He had to do yoga to be flexible. There was also speed training involved.

Daly continued to flourish at the position, and he understood what had to happen next. It wasn’t easy, but he decided to quit playing baseball and give closure to his childhood dream.

“It was a little tough,” Daly said. “I was very committed in my life to baseball. I thought I would be playing baseball. Once I found the hidden talent of long snapping, I put all my focus into it.”

Being a snapper is a lot being a kicker. It’s not an easy role. Perfection is what it’s expected every time out. Daly understands that, too.

“The only time you hear about a long snapper is when they mess up,” Daly said. “You only go out there a few times. You have to be on every time or you hurt your team.

“There is some pressure out there, but Chris Rubio always talks about concentration, and concentration comes with working hard, snapping and preparing yourself to be in place to be successful. I take that seriously.”

Rubio works with some of the nation’s best long snappers, and he included Daly in that category. Daly is currently ranked the No. 3 long snapper by ESPN.

“He has a great combination of skills,” Rubio said. “He has great size, got incredible smoothness and speed and a great work ethic. He’s a good all-around kid, too.”

Daly arrived on Notre Dame’s radar when he attended a special teams’ camp in South Bend, Ind. He and the Irish’s coaches kept him touch from then on. When he offered a scholarship prior to the spring game in April, he committed on the spot.

“It’s unbelievable,” Daly said. “I still can’t believe it. I never thought I would get a full-ride scholarship to the best school in the country, let alone to play for one of the best football teams in the country.”

In his senior season, Daly helped Downers Grove South to a 10-2 record as a tight end and long snapper.

“It’s something he’s worked at,” Downers Grove South coach John Belskis said. “He found a niche. There are certain skills that come natural to people and snapping came natural to him.”

Here’s an in-depth look at Northwestern’s 2012 football recruiting class:

Top prospect - Defensive end/linebacker Ifeadi Odenigbo received the highest ESPN recruiting grade (82) of Northwestern’s recruits. He actually received the highest grade of any of the in-state schools’ recruiting classes. Odenigbo, who is 6-3 and 212 pounds, is the sixth-ranked defensive end and the 51st-ranked overall player in the country by ESPN. Athleticism and toughness are two attributes most often associated with him.

Sleeper prospect - Plano safety Joseph Jones could be one to watch out in the future. Jones missed most of his junior season due to injury, but it didn’t stop the Wildcats from recruiting him. He has good size (6-1) and speed and he can jump. To add to the story, he was Plano’s first Division I athlete since 1971.

Illinois winners - Northwestern’s recruiting class only includes four Illinois players, but three of them played in a state championship game. Dean Lowry played on Boylan’s Class 7A state championship team. Dan Vitale was on Wheaton Warrenville South’s Class 7A runner-up team. Malin Jones was on Joliet Catholic’s Class 5A runner-up team. Lowry and Vitale also won state championships their junior seasons.

Versatile Vitale - Northwestern is sure to find a place on the field for Wheaton Warrenville South’s Dan Vitale. Vitale was Mr. Everything for his high school team last year. He led the Tigers in rushing, receiving and touchdowns. He’s expected to play superback at Northwestern.

Penn men - Pennsylvania has become a popular recruiting stop for Northwestern’s coaches. The Wildcats will sign five recruits from the state, and three of their top-five recruits are from Pennsylvania. The state has been kind to Northwestern before. Just off last year’s roster, the Pennsylvania natives included Dan Persa, Quentin Williams, Jeravin Matthews and Ibraheim Campbell.

Building an O-line - Four of Northwestern’s top-five recruits are offensive linemen. Adam DePietro is the 46th-ranked offensive tackle; Ian Park is the 38th-ranked offensive guard; Kenton Playko is the 80th-ranked offensive tackle; and Connor Mahoney is the 64th-ranked offensive guard. The class also includes Eric Olson, who is the 143rd-ranked offensive tackle.

No quarterbacks - Northwestern’s recruiting class does not include any quarterbacks. It should be a position the Wildcats are firm in for at least a few years. Kain Colter will be a junior next season, Trevor Siemian will be a sophomore, and Zack Oliver will be a redshirt freshman. The Wildcats have offered a number of 2013 quarterbacks, including Bolingbrook’s Aaron Bailey and Maine South’s Matt Alviti.

Safety boost - Northwestern’s 2011 recruiting class included one safety. Its 2012 class has three of them. Dwight White Jr. is the 102nd-ranked safety, Terrance Brown is No. 112, and Joseph Jones is No. 131.

Searching for a running back - Northwestern’s running game improved in 2011, but the Wildcats are still in search for a lead back. Mike Trumpy could be that guy when he returns from injury. Treyvon Green and Adonis Smith also carried the ball last season. Northwestern’s 2012 recruiting class includes at least two potential running backs in Joliet Catholic’s Malin Jones and Traveon Henry, who played at Pine Crest in Florida. Jones is ranked the No. 87th running back. He rushed for 1,681 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. Henry is ranked the 121st running back.

ESPNU 150 recruits - Northwestern obtained a commitment from an ESPNU 150 recruit for the second consecutive year. Christian Jones was an ESPNU 150 recruit in 2011. Jones made 16 catches for 195 yards during his freshman year.

Worth noting - Kyle Prater isn’t technically a 2012 recruit, but his recent decision to transfer to Northwestern from USC was a major recruiting coup for the Wildcats. Prater was ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2010 by ESPN coming out of Proviso West High School in Hillside, Ill. He had 64 receptions for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior season.

Scouts take - ESPN Midwest recruiting analyst Jared Shanker said, “Signing day should be pretty quiet for Northwestern, which received its biggest gift of the 2012 class on Jan. 7 when Ifeadi Odenigbo, ranked No. 51 in the ESPNU 150, committed to the Wildcats. Odenigbo could redshirt next season, but if he plays as a freshman he could make an immediate impact as a third-down rush linebacker. The Wildcats did a great job bolstering both the offensive and defensive lines as their top seven recruits are all lineman if Odenigbo, who played end in high school, is included. Three-star offensive linemen Adam DiPietro, Ian Park, Kenton Playko and Connor Mahoney could make up four of the five line spots in a few years."

Here’s an in-depth look at Illinois’ 2012 recruit class:

Top prospect - Outside linebacker Tajarvis Fuller received the highest ESPN recruiting grade (79) of Illinois’ recruits. Fuller, who is 6-1 and 197 pounds, had 166 tackles, 76 solo tackles, six sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions at Dunbar High School in Florida this past season. He’s been described as a “very active and productive linebacker when defending the past and run.”

Offensive stars - Illinois is hopeful it has found a future star running back in Dami Ayoola and wide receiver in Jason Robertson. The pair are Illinois’ highest-rated offensive players. Ayoola, who is 5-9 and 200 pounds, is ranked the 32nd running back in the country. Robertson, 5-11, 180-pounder, is ranked the 115th-best wide receiver. Both also come from well-known programs. Ayoola played at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, and Robertson is from Lincoln-Way East in Illinois.

Kicking replacement - Illinois loses one of the nation’s best kicker in Derek Dimke to graduation, but hopes to replace him with Ryan Frain. Frain, a native of Indianapolis, has the ability to comfortably kick anywhere from 50 yards and in. He made a 63-yarder in practice last season.

Defensive tackle tandem - Teko Powell and Vontrell Williams, two of Illinois’ most highly-touted defensive players, both play defensive tackle and could be a dominant duo down the line for the Illini. Powell, who is 6-2 and 250 pounds, played at Norland in Miami. Williams, is 6-2 and 270 pounds, played at Mount Carmel in Chicago.

Late steal - Northern Illinois thought Devin Church could be a star running back. Illinois had a similar thought and recently began recruiting Church. Last week, he changed his commitment from Northern Illinois to Illinois. The Illini also swayed Lincoln-Way West linebacker/safety B.J. Bello from Western Michigan recently.

ESPNU 150 recruits - This will be only the second Illinois recruiting class since 2007 to not include an ESPNU 150 recruit. The Illini’s 2006 and 2007 classes each had three ESPNU 150 recruits. Illinois freshman tight end Jon Davis was an ESPNU 150 recruit in 2011, and he caught 22 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown during his freshman season.

After coaching change - Since Tim Beckman was hired on Dec. 9, Illinois has received eight of its current 18 commitments. Beckman’s biggest loss was Keith Brown. Brown, who is ranked the 29th-best outside linebacker, was committed to Illinois when Ron Zook was still coach and then decommited after Beckman was hired. Beckman’s greatest addition has been Tyrone Neal, who is ranked the 62nd-best outside linebacker.

Recruiting the country - Illinois’ recruiting class includes a number of states. It has five players from Florida, four players from Illinois and Ohio and one from Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

No quarterbacks - Beckman has recruited an assortment of positions, but he hasn’t added a quarterback to his recruiting class yet. It is a position Illinois shouldn’t have to worry about for at least three years. Nathan Scheelhaase will be a junior next season, and Reilly O’Toole will be a sophomore. Illinois has already offered a number of quarterbacks in the 2013 class, including Bolingbrook’s Aaron Bailey and Maine South’s Matt Alviti.

More to possibly come - Illinois could add a few more recruits in the next week. Edwardsville defensive tackle Vincent Valentine will decide between Florida, Illinois and Nebraska on Wednesday. Crete-Monee defensive back Anthony Standifer, who was previously committed to Michigan, has also mentioned Illinois as a possible destination.

Scouts take - ESPN Midwest recruit analyst Jared Shanker said, “New Illini coach Tim Beckman and his staff were known as arguably the best recruiters at Toledo, and he’s showcasing that recruiting prowess early on at Illinois. Beckman has picked up eight commitments since being named coach and held on to several others who committed to Ron Zook. Teko Powell and Vontrell Williams make for a good tandem at defensive tackle and those big bodies will help free up the four linebackers (five if B.J. Bello moves from safety) committed to the 2012 class."

Here’s an in-depth look at Northern Illinois’ 2012 football recruiting class:

Top prospect - Marian Central offensive guard Scott Taylor received the highest ESPN recruiting grade (79) of Northern Illinois’ recruits. Taylor is 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds and has been described as “having a toughness about him” and being “well coached.” Northern Illinois’ offense was stellar this past season largely because of its offensive line. Taylor should be a key piece to the line in years to come.

Building the line - Northern Illinois also appears to have another key offensive line piece in Levon Myers, who is 6-5 and 260 pounds. Myers, an offensive tackle, received a late offer from Wisconsin, but he decided to stick with Northern Illinois.

Sleeper prospect - Amundsen’s Desroy Maxwell has only played organized football for four years. Originally from Jamaica, he picked up the sport in high school and added three inches and 50 pounds during his four years at the Chicago-based school. He played wide receiver, linebacker and kicker for his high school team. He could be a special player down the road.

Defensive star - Northern Illinois has high hopes for Neuqua Valley defensive end Michael Ippolito. He drew rave reviews over the summer and had a strong high school season in Illinois.

Home-grown talent - Eleven of Northern Illinois’ 18 recruits come from Illinois. Comparably, both Northwestern and Illinois have four in-state recruits.

Future quarterbacks - Northern Illinois feels good about both of the quarterback recruits it has coming in. Drew Hare is 6-2 and 190 pounds from Missouri. Matt Williams is 6-2 and 190 pounds from Illinois. Both could have a shot along with freshman Matt McIntosh at the starting position after Jordan Lynch graduates.

Late steal - O’Fallon linebacker Mike Cotton decommitted from Indiana and recently committed to Northern Illinois. Cotton, who is 6-4 and 220 pounds, has good size and tackling ability. He had a team-high 79 tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery this past season. He could be a big-time player for the Huskies.

Running back tradition - Northern Illinois has produced its share of quality running backs, including Garrett Wolfe, Michael Turner and Chad Spann. The Huskies are hopeful Romeoville’s Perez Ford could be another star in the making. Ford has size and speed. He’s 6-2 and 225 pounds, and he’s run the 100-yard dash in 10.5 seconds.

Scouts take - ESPN Midwest recruiting analyst Jared Shanker said, “The MAC champion Huskies are doing well on the recruiting front in coach Dave Doeren’s first full recruiting class. Doeren was able to get a steal in three-star guard Scott Taylor, ranked No. 28 in the country at his position and No. 9 in Illinois. Taylor received interest from BCS schools and had an offer from Cincinnati. The biggest surprise is the Huskies found a way to hold on to Levon Myers, a Wisconsin native who received a late offer from the in-state Badgers.

Lincoln-Way West senior linebacker/safety B.J. Bello committed to Illinois on Sunday.

Bello, who is 6-2 and 210 pounds, had been originally committed to Western Michigan. Illinois began showing him interest last week, and he visited the campus over the weekend. He had also been recently contacted by Boston College, Minnesota and Tennessee.

Illinois coach Tim Beckman had been recruiting Bello when he coached at Toledo.

“It definitely feels good,” Bello said of heading to the Big Ten. “I feel more confident. It’s definitely something I wanted to do. I definitely thought I could play in the Big Ten because I’ve been working hard.”

Illinois now has 18 Class of 2012 commitments.

The Illinois High School Association said Wednesday it was against a recently filed Illinois Senate bill which would allow a student-athlete to play in a football game without having participated in the IHSA's mandated 12 practices if the player had been in military training.

The bill was filed by Illinois State Senator Shane Cultra on Jan. 11 as a response to an IHSA ruling in August that prevented Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School senior Eddie Nuss from playing in his team's season opener because he was unable to attend the mandated preseason practices because he had been in military training in Fort Benning, Ga.

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Crete-Monee senior cornerback Anthony Standifer said Tuesday he will likely commit to Notre Dame Fighting Irish if the school allows him to complete an academic requirement online.

Standifer said he’s lacking sufficient Spanish credits to be admitted into Notre Dame. He said Notre Dame’s coaches were looking into whether he could take a Spanish course online to fulfill the credits.

“They’re trying to see if I can take an online class,” said Standifer, who is 6-1 and 180 pounds. “That’s pretty much it. It would be hard to decide, but most likely I would commit there. I liked the facilities, the city, the coaches, the players, the food, pretty much everything.”

Standifer was previously committed to Michigan Wolverines, but backed out of it in December for an undisclosed reason. He’s the 38th-ranked Class of 2012 cornerback in the country, according to ESPN.

Aside from Notre Dame, he’s also looking at Boise State Broncos, Illinois Fighting Illini and Pittsburgh Panthers. He recently visited Notre Dame and planned to visit either Boise State or Pittsburgh this weekend. Illinois hasn’t officially offered him, but he said its coaching staff has been actively recruiting him.

“I might sign on signing day or I might not,” Standifer said. “It’s basically coming down to whether I get my visits in. I’m starting to get an overall feel.”

Standifer is looking forward to ending his recruitment. It hasn’t exactly been all fun and games.

“It’s been stressful at times,” he said. “I’m trying to get it over with. I can’t wait to get it over with. I can then plan everything and get going with my future.”

The Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday it has begun accepting bids to host the state football finals in odd years beginning in 2013.

The state finals have been held at Memorial Stadium in Champaign since 1999, but the stadium will be required by the Illinois football team every other year because of a change in the Big Ten’s scheduling.

Sites specifications include being available for every other year beginning in 2013 and ending in 2021, having a minimum of 12,000 seats and artificial turf field.

The IHSA has also started accepting bids for the dance state finals. The inaugural state finals will be in 2013.

“It is always an exciting and interesting process when we seek new hosts for state final events,” IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said in a statement. “The most important part of this process is finding a venue that allows us to host a first-class tournament that the student-athletes, coaches and fans will never forget. We feel like our events bring a lot of positives to the communities who embrace them and are confident that we will have several parties interesting in hosting both the football and dance state finals.”

The IHSA plans to announce both hosts in June.

MIDLOTHIAN, Ill. -- Bremen senior running David Smith committed to Oklahoma at a press conference at his school on Tuesday.

Smith, a 6-foot, 195-pound tailback, pulled an Oklahoma baseball cap out of a bag and placed it on his head as he announced his decision before a room filled with family, friends, coaches and media. He also later removed his jacket and displayed a red Oklahoma football t-shirt.

“I’m happy to be a Sooner,” Smith said with a smile moments after his decision.

Smith chose Oklahoma over West Virginia, which he said had been his leader until Oklahoma reached out to him on Dec. 23. He visited Oklahoma’s campus and met with Sooners coach Bob Stoops last weekend.

Coming from the Chicago area, the warmer weather in Oklahoma was welcomed by Smith, but he also found no faults during his weekend there.

“The hardest part is taking each trip and trying to find out what’s real about the schools,” Smith said. “You go eat every morning at all these like expensive restaurants and stuff like that. I know once I come there it definitely won’t be the case. I tried to find all the real things at each campus. At OU, everything was like perfect.”

Bremen coach Dan Stell saw a difference in Smith after Oklahoma came into the picture.

“Watching David go through this process, I think everything seemed to work out for a reason,” Stell said. “At one point, he was trying to narrow his search down to five schools. He had a difficult time with that. Once he narrowed it down to five, he took the next step and tried to narrow it down to two schools.

“Sure enough, on Dec. 23 when Oklahoma called, it went from was trying to decide between those two schools, and all of sudden Oklahoma came into the picture. That was a game-changer. At that point, he went from being stressed about the process to extremely excited.”

Smith also was attracted to Oklahoma because there could be an early opportunity to play.

“It’s actually a pretty good thing going over there as a tailback coming in,” Smith said. “It’s now me and another guy committed there. We have four tailbacks. I’m ready to compete.”

Stell was confident Smith would make an impact on and off the field at Oklahoma.

“You can see he’s the type of kid who can light up a room, and the same time, he can light up a playing field,” Stell said. “I think this is just the beginning for him.”