Scouts' Rees aims high with mentor dad

In 30 years of evaluating football talent from UCLA to the NFL, Bill Rees earned a reputation for making definitive and difference-making assessments.

He recruited offensive lineman Jonathan Ogden, a future Hall of Famer. And he wooed Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman from Oklahoma.

But he never had to evaluate his son.

Now Tommy Rees is emerging as a big-time quarterback prospect, and his father wonders if college recruiters see what he sees in the 6-3, 198-pound junior from Lake Forest.

''He could be an athletic pocket passer,'' Bill Rees said. ''He can move around and get out of trouble. He is a very accurate passer with arm ability. He can throw with touch and velocity and can throw deep. A college coach must ask: 'Does he fit into what we are doing?'''

Some colleges think so. And others are evaluating if he can. He has scholarship offers from Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green and Central Michigan, and interest from Notre Dame, UCLA, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, Iowa, Stanford and Northwestern.

''The MAC is a great conference. They've produced a lot of great quarterbacks,'' Rees said. ''But I also feel I have the ability and competitive drive to play in a BCS conference. I don't doubt it at all.''

Rees, who turned 17 last week, plans to visit UCLA and Stanford in June and likely will visit Tennessee. He has been to Notre Dame twice and also has visited North Carolina, Wisconsin and Iowa.

He anticipates more interest and more invitations. He thinks that ''it makes sense to get it out of the way'' before school begins, but he won't rush his decision.

''I'm not someone who has to make a decision before the season. I could decide before, during or after the season,'' he said. ''It is most important to be patient, to wait things out. I'm looking for a school that I will be comfortable at. I'm confident that things will work out for me.

''Recruiting is like riding a roller-coaster, a lot of ups and downs. There is only so much you can do. You just do the best you can to prove yourself to coaches. The toughest part of the process is keeping your head on straight, to stay motivated and keep working hard.''

Rees admits he has three ''dream'' schools -- UCLA, where his father worked for 16 years, where his mother attended and his brother is enrolled, Notre Dame and North Carolina. ''But you don't want to build things up too high or downplay them. You don't want to get swept off your feet,'' he said.

In the meantime, he is eagerly preparing for his senior season. He lifts weights three times a week with his teammates and twice on his own. He works on agility and running drills and gets together with his receivers to throw three or four times a week.

Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli has rebuilt the program, qualifying for the state playoffs for the last three years.

Rees hopes to complete 70 to 75 percent of his passes and improve his passing statistics (2,031 yards, 21 touchdowns) while reducing his interceptions (13). He has at least one big-time target -- Connor Moutvic, who has 4.5 speed and caught 50 passes for 725 yards last season.

''We're building team chemistry and camaraderie,'' Rees said. ''I'm optimistic. We have great leadership and good underclassmen. This could be a special team, and I can't wait for my turn to be a senior. Friday nights in Lake Forest are real special times.''