It wasn’t very complicated. And it wasn’t flashy either.

It was just two simple words: fast and athletic.

That is the mold NIU football coach Joe Novak and recruiting coordinator Mike Sabock were looking for in this year’s recruits.

All in all, 24 new recruits signed from 5 states on Wednesday with defensive backs and linemen grabbing the most spots. But the main thing is all of them fit the mold.

And Wednesday as Sabock looked over the list of recruits that signed their letters of intent to play for NIU, he knew his mold worked.

“In 21 years here, this is one of the top [recruiting] classes I have seen,” Sabock said. “We have athletes who can not only compete, but compete early in their careers here.”

One of those athletes is Josh Allen, a cornerback on the football field and point guard on the basketball court.

On Sept. 11, 2004, Allen came to DeKalb to watch NIU take on Southern Illinois. With his ears pounding from the noise of over 28,000 fans, he looked out over Huskie Stadium and smiled – he knew NIU was where he wanted to play.

And the coaches can’t wait to see what he can do. Neither can Mike Grenda, Allen’s coach at North Chicago High School.

In four years of coaching Allen, Grenda put him not only at cornerback but anywhere he needed him.

Junior year, the 6-foot, 190 pounder filled in at outside linebacker. Senior year he was an option quarterback and played cornerback on passing situations.

“He is such an athlete and he is a primo hitter,” Grenda said. “He just makes things happen out there.”

A perfect fit to the mold.

Justin Anderson was another option quarterback at Steinmetz High School, but when he slips on an NIU jersey he will be listed as a running back.

Morgan Park High School supplied three top-recruits to NIU this year.

Orlando Moore is a 5-foot-10 big play receiver who runs a 4.4 second 40-yard dash.

Another player NIU coaches can’t stop talking about is Melvin Rice Jr. A defensive back, Rice was being recruited by Big Ten schools before choosing NIU. With 4.5 speed and surprising strength for his size, Rice is one player who may be able to compete early for playing time.

And to round out the trio is linebacker Phil Brown. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, NIU coaches said he is a lot like current NIU linebacker Javan Lee.

Along the same line, Tim Mayerbock from St. Patrick High School is not only large (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) but also strong, as he can bench 415 pounds.

Carmel High School’s Eddie Adamski is undersized for a center (6-foot-4, 240 pounds), but NIU coaches said he more than makes up for it by benching 385 pounds.

Then there is Tony Holmes who now stands in at 6-feet-7, but NIU coaches said he will only get bigger after meeting his father who stands in at 6-foot-10.

With the departure of senior punter Anthony Gallagher, NIU went out and recruited Andy Dittbenner from University High School in Bloomington, Ill. He can punt the ball over 60-yards when he gets a hold of it, but still needs to work on his consistency, coaches said.

Unfortunately, Dittbenner and the rest of the recruits are going to have to wait. The season is eight months away and that is a long time before they get to see how well they fit the mold.