Aggressive Illini early with offers

Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming is on the road, driving from coast to coast on his annual trips to evaluate the top 1,700 football prospects in the Class of 2009. Everywhere Lemming has been, Illinois already has been there.

‘‘It’s a smart approach,’’ Lemming said. ‘‘Illinois can’t beat Ohio State in Ohio or Michigan in Michigan or Tennessee in Tennessee. So they offer 200 kids nationally. They offer great players ahead of everyone else.

‘‘Today, if you don’t offer to these kids right away, they get a chip on their shoulder. They always remember the coaches who paid attention to them first. You must be aggressive. Everywhere I’ve gone, Illinois has had a mark on the area.’’

The Illini have three commitments — linemen Melvin Fellows of Garfield Heights, Ohio, and Lindell Buckner and Leon Hill of Leo — but they have offered scholarships to more than 150 players, more than any other school.

The list includes the best offensive linemen in the nation, two of the top five quarterbacks in the country, the two leading prospects in Illinois, the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, Missouri and Tennessee and the No. 2 player in Ohio.

Here are some elite seniors offered scholarships by Illinois:

*The best offensive lineman in the country, 6-7, 275-pound Xavier Nixon of Fayetteville, N.C. Notre Dame also has offered a scholarship.

*Quarterbacks Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla., and 6-5, 230-pound Tom Savage of Philadelphia. Murray, a 6-1, 205-pounder, is the No. 1 player in Florida and ranks behind only USC-bound Matt Barkley of Santa Ana, Calif., as the top-rated quarterback in the country. Murray has nearly 50 offers, including Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Tennessee.

*Illinois’ leading prospects, defensive end Craig Drummond of Morgan Park and offensive lineman Chris Watt of Glenbard West.

*Dorian Bell of Monroeville, Pa., a 6-1, 225-pound linebacker who is Lemming’s pick as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania. He has 49 offers, and rates as one of the three top linebackers in the nation. He reminds Lemming of former Florida State star Derrick Brooks.

*Two other Pennsylvania stars — 6-3, 205-pound defensive back Todd Thomas of Beaver Falls and 6-1, 180-pound receiver Corey Brown of Monroeville. Brown has 31 offers, Thomas 17.

*Marcus Hall of Cleveland, Ohio, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive lineman who ranks behind Ohio State-bound lineman John Simon of Youngstown as the No. 1 player in Ohio, is a five-star player who has been offered scholarships by every Big Ten school except Northwestern.

*The three top-rated players in Iowa: 5-11, 190-pound running back Brandon Wegher of Sioux City, 6-7, 285-pound offensive tackle Dave Barret of Des Moines and 6-3, 190-pound wide receiver Keenan Davis of Cedar Rapids. Wegher averaged nine yards per carry last season and has 10.8 speed for 100 meters. He also has been offered a scholarship by Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Auburn and Texas Tech. Barret also has been offered a scholarship by Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State, Davis by Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

*The top-rated player in the St. Louis area, running back Ronnie Wingo of St. Louis U-High, has offers from Illinois, Oklahoma, Tennessee and several other Big Ten and Big 12 schools.

*Marlon Brown of Memphis, Tenn., a 6-5, 200-pounder who is the best player in Tennessee and perhaps the best receiver in the country, has more than 50 offers.

One player Illinois hasn’t offered a scholarship to is 6-7, 300-pound offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson of St. Paul, Minn., whom Lemming rates as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2010. He has offers from USC, Notre Dame, Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.