Providence tackle Ward stands out in balanced class

Purple always may reign around the football fields of Northwestern, but redshirt likely will be the early color code again for many in its signing-day assembly of 2009.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald, who is headed into his fourth season calling the shots on the Enchanted Lakefront, acknowledged as much Wednesday after the Wildcats unveiled a generally middle-class group of 18 fresh talents. Headlining the newcomers is four-star offensive tackle Patrick Ward of south-suburban powerhouse Providence, who brushed away a list of at least 25 other impressive suitors to become NU's first four-star signee since defensive end Loren Howard in 2001.

Asked if his tendency to redshirt many true freshman will continue with the newest batch of Baby Cats, Fitzgerald told the media: ''We're extremely excited about this class, first and foremost. But across the board, in our first two classes, we've been able to -- because of the depth in our program -- redshirt an overwhelming majority [of true freshmen]. If we can continue to do that ... I believe it's in our best interests from a program standpoint.''

Fitzgerald and his staff landed five of their primary Chicago-area targets: Ward, running back Mike Trumpy of Wheaton North, quarterback Evan Watkins of Glenbard North, defensive end Anthony Battle of Mount Carmel and linebacker Tim Riley of Oswego.

According to Rivals.com, 10 of the new Wildcats are three-star prospects and seven are two-star. The 18-man group was split evenly between defensive players and offensive players, including kicker Jeff Budzien. Fitzgerald added further competition among his old corps by signing five linebackers.

Head of the class: Without question, it's Ward. If the Wildcats can add enough other four-star players in the years ahead, the program might reach unprecedented horizons of sustained major successes. Ward comes with size (6-7, 290 pounds), smarts (straight-A average, 35 ACT) and pedigree (father Brian played for Mike White's 1983 Rose Bowl team at Illinois). He could open at left tackle next fall and not give it up until sometime around New Year's Day 2013.

Instant impact: With Amado Villarreal gone, the best bet to contribute quickly would appear to be Budzien. The diminutive kicker (5-10, 155) end-over-ended out of rural Wisconsin with impressive junior and senior seasons that left him rated by most major scouting services as one of the 10 best seniors at his position in the nation. Last fall, he was 8-for-8 on field goals inside 50 yards and 64-for-66 on extra points. Seventy of his 88 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.

Worth the wait: Three-star defensive end Davon Custis (6-4, 220) from St. Francis De Sales in Columbus, Ohio, might get one autumn serving a comfortable apprenticeship behind the rehabbing Corey Wootton before he begins to make an impact. His past-performance line would suggest a winner: St. Francis De Sales finished 25-2 in his final two seasons.

Sleeper: Trumpy carries more regional cachet as a running back, including bloodlines that track to uncle Bob Trumpy, a former NFL player and longtime broadcaster. But if a purple projectionist were searching for a more prototypical replacement for Tyrell Sutton, fresh tynamo Arby Fields of Los Osos High in Alta Loma, Calif., would command viewing. For his three-year prep career, the 5-9, 185-pounder totaled 2,959 rushing yards, 1,534 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns.

Fast facts: Most credible ratings groups listed NU's recruiting haul as sixth-, seventh- or eighth-best in the Big Ten. ... With the Wildcats' receiving corps depleted by graduation, incoming Drew Moulton might nudge the radar sooner than later. Moulton tore an anterior cruciate ligament as a junior in high school, showed up unannounced at an NU camp last June and absolutely wowed coaches with his speed and determination. ... A contributing factor in the recruiting of Trumpy was his friendship with Wildcats redshirt-freshman tackle Nick Adamle. The two were teammates at Wheaton North. ... Also among the growing posse from the western suburbs is Watkins, who has size (6-6, 230) but lost some career zing when Glenbard North went to a more run-oriented offense in his senior season.