James Nokes: Honestly, I like our recruiting class this year. This class allows Novak to be the master artisan he is in shaping these players.

Sean Ostruszka: Obviously, Novak is pretty good at shaping players. Look at Garrett Wolfe and Doug Free.

But at the same time, why wouldn’t you want guys who could come in right now and immediately help your team? Novak can still shape on Rivals.com a three-star recruit.

JN: That’s tempting. If you measure our success lately though, it seems to be the diamonds in the rough, the guys who pull up their sleeves and do the dirty work to get better, that make the difference.

SO: I like those guys too, but what troubles me is that we got out-recruited in our state. And that cannot happen if NIU wants to be a bigger and better program.

We lost in-state players to Wyoming, New Mexico and Stanford. I’m sorry, NIU better be a better football program than Wyoming.

JN: That is a tough pill to swallow. Wyoming has 400 thousand people – in the state. DeKalb has eight million in its backyard.

But I still think the difference between a two- and three-start recruit is very subjective. It’s guy’s opinions.

SO: Yeah, but three stars like Phil Brown and Melvin Rice Jr. have already been stepping in right now and doing great. I mean, our defense next year will be seriously improved because of these kind of players. I just think Novak is finally slowing down.

JN: Or, do you think it is possible that he actually just knows who he wants?

He’s been shopping for the groceries for so long that he goes into the store and buys all his groceries in two minutes. Regardless of what people think, he knows what kind of player he can mold.

SO: Even still, our recruiting classes have been getting worse. In 2005 we got Rice, Brown and Justin Anderson, who are supposed to be pretty good. This year, everyone seems to be a project.

JN: I guess it will just have to be delayed gratification for NIU fans.