Fiedorowicz chooses Iowa over Illinois

Illinois football coach Ron Zook's recruiting took a big hit on Wednesday when C.J. Fiedorowicz of Johnsburg, the top-rated tight end in the nation according to analyst Tom Lemming, declared that he had decommitted from Illinois and plans to enroll at Iowa.

Fiedorowicz, a 6-7, 245-pounder who is a two-time Sun-Times All-Area selection, informed Zook of his decision after returning from a visit to the Iowa campus last weekend. He had committed to Illinois last July after attending a one-day camp in Rantoul.

"I wasn't happy with what is going on at Illinois," Fiedorowicz said. "I like all the coaches at Iowa. They will be staying around for a long time. I went to the Iowa/Minnesota game last weekend and the atmosphere was so much better than at Illinois. Now I feel good about my decision."

Fiedorowicz said he opted to switch because he is impressed with the way Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz incorporates the tight end into his offense. He said he had become disenchanted with Illinois' offensive system and reluctance to utilize the tight end in passing situations.

"Illinois doesn't throw to the tight end, maybe 10 times all year," he said. "But it is an important part of Iowa's system. (Former Wheaton Warrenville South tight end) Tony Moeaki is in on every play. I hung out with him on Saturday night. He loves the Iowa program. He said there is no better school that he'd rather go to. He feels a part of the offense."

Fiedorowicz said he made his commitment to Illinois too quickly. "It was spur of the moment. I was down there and I hung out with football players and I wanted to get it over with. I was sick of the phone calls. At the time, I felt it was the right choice. But I guess it wasn't," he said.

He said he began to have doubts when he attended the Michigan State/Illinois game in Champaign. "I saw the fans weren't into it. There wasn't a lot of fan support. Illinois wasn't playing well. And I never saw the tight end on the field. I decided to look around," Fiedorowicz said.

Iowa was the first school to show up at Johnsburg to recruit the youngster. Assistant coach Lester Erb made 10 to 15 trips, more than any other college coach.

"They showed they wanted me," Fiedorowicz said. "They had the offense I was looking for. I saw how important the tight end is their offense. That sold me. And so did my time with Moeaki. I never talked to Illinois' tight end once.

"I'm set, no more looking around. Last weekend, I was talking to Iowa fans and they knew all about me. You could tell they care about their football over there."

As a junior, Fiedorowicz caught 49 passes for 809 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games. As a senior, he caught 44 passes for 921 yards and 15 touchdowns in a 8-4 season. He also was a standout linebacker and safety.

He caught 44 touchdown passes in his career, one short of the state record. An outstanding three-sport athlete, he was offered a scholarship by Wisconsin and Indiana for basketball. He qualified for the finals of the state track meet on a sprint relay team. In football, he had more than 30 offers, including Notre Dame, Miami, LSU, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Arizona. He is rated as the No. 13 player in the nation by Lemming.

"All year long, he talked about going to a school that throws to the tight end," Lemming said. "Even when he was committed to Illinois, he talked about taking other visits. He has an NFL body. If he listens to his college coaches, he'll be a first-round draft choice.

"I wouldn't have been surprised if he had gone to Iowa, Illinois or Wisconsin. But it's a super catch for Iowa, their biggest catch since the great Chicago haul (Moeaki, Dace Richardson, Dan Doering, Ryan Bain, Jake Christensen) five years ago."