But when Novak stepped to the podium to discuss his 2006 class with the media, he made no bones about how he felt about the players coming in.

"As a whole, this class is the best athletically we've brought in here," Novak said of the 17 signees. "Consciously, our staff made that decision early in the recruiting process. With all the teams spreading the field on offense now, we have more ground to cover. We may have been slightly deficient on a skill level with our back seven defenders. This is a strong, physical group that can run and pursue. Numbers-wise, we have more athletes in this group.

"We have some defensive backs, taller and in the 200-pound range, and outside linebackers who can run and who can make plays. I like this class. We're happy. It's a good group. I thought our coaching staff did a great job identifying our needs, selling our program and filling those same needs."

The Huskies will have their quarterback, Phil Horvath, and star running back, Garrett Wolfe, back in 2006, but there are definitely places that the fresh faces can help fill the gaps.

TOP RECRUITS:

QB Billy Lowe, Lakeland, Fla. -- Joe Novak was raving about Lowe, who led Lakeland to an undefeated season and the USA Today national championship as a senior. The 6-3, 214-pounder threw for 14 touchdowns through the air and ran for eight other scores.

RB Ricky Crider, Evansville, Ind. -- The Huskies always like to have a fresh ball carrier in the game, so Crider will have a shot at getting some carries in his first season. As a senior, Crider Rushed for a school-record 2,478 yards and 33 touchdowns.

OG Jason Onyebuagu, Indianapolis -- Novak compares the 6-2, 305-pounder to former NIU All-American Todd Peat in that both have great footwork. Onyebuagu can play almost anywhere on the line, but he'll likely start off at guard.

--LB Tim McCarthy was selected to the first-team Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America team.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Sure, winning is important. Recruits want to go where they can win. The national television exposure? For some of the out-of-state kids, it was a factor in their decision. I believe people in the Chicago area and in-state know what we've done in recent years." -- Coach Joe Novak on the Huskies' winning ways helping recruiting.

PRO POTENTIAL:

WR Sam Hurd -- With his ability to not only catch the ball but gain yardage after the reception, Hurd will get a look from more than one NFL team. His 6-foot-4 height will make him a player that teams can use at the goal line for jump balls.

ROSTER REPORT: RB Garrett Wolfe had routine right shoulder surgery in January and likely will miss spring practice. Wolfe is facing four to six months of rehab but is expected to be ready for summer conditioning and the start of the 2006 season.