Illinois happy to have Bates on defense
The summer before his senior year at St. Paul's School in Covington, La., all-state rush end Houston Bates committed to LSU.
It seemed like one of the most cut-and-dried recruiting stories of all time.
“I grew up in Baton Rouge and going to LSU games,” Bates told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “Once they offered, there really wasn't anywhere else. I had other offers, but it was always LSU.”
Or not.
When the Tigers received more commitments than they had scholarships in February 2010, the coaches asked Bates to wait a semester before enrolling.
By “grayshirting,” Bates' eligibility clock wouldn't start until the 2011 season. And, of course, he wouldn't get a scholarship until one became available.
While LSU coach Les Miles was excoriated in the national media for bait-and-switching Bates and other recruits, Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and strongside linebackers coach Ron West received a tip about Bates' limbo.
“Coach West and I have a few friends, believe it or not,” Koenning said with a chuckle during Camp Rantoul. “We made the move on him and were able to sway him up here. He's got a really sweet girlfriend down at Louisiana-Lafayette, so it wasn't easy.”
Bates committed to the Illini in April 2010 and served a redshirt year last fall, though Ron Zook said it was a tossup whether to play Bates or fellow freshman Brandon Denmark.
While Denmark has struggled to catch on as a backup middle linebacker, Bates' development as an inside linebacker has been swift and mostly sure.
“All spring I kept saying I couldn't wait to see Houston play,” Zook said.
Bates didn't start Saturday's opener against Arkansas State, but he served as an equal member of a rotation with starters Jonathan Brown and Ian Thomas.
Bates did so much during his time (5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery) that he received the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week award.
Due to his upbringing as a rush end, Bates is in the process of learning a linebacker's patience. His eagerness can lead to big plays … and big plays the other way.
“At times, he's a rolling ball of butcher knives,” Koenning said. “He's rolling. He's going. And sometimes he hits them and sometimes he misses them.
“A couple plays he had great opportunities. I told him, ‘Houston, when you go flying in there and it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Just set 'er down and chill out for a minute and find the ball.'”
When Zook watches Bates, he's reminded of former Florida linebacker Channing Crowder. He earned first-team all-SEC honors before becoming an NFL third-round pick in 2005. Crowder retired last month.
“He loved to play, loved to practice,” Zook said. “And had fun doing it.”
Injury update:Remember Illinois' elongated injury list at this point last year?Safety Supo Sanni was out for the year. So was offensive tackle Corey Lewis. Cornerback Terry Hawthorne was sidelined for a month with a fractured foot. Fullback/tight end Zach Becker had a similar problem.Off-field issues knocked out a few defenders.Apparently the Illini are being rewarded for last year's woes with a clean slate this time around.While Lewis (ACL surgery) remains at least a few weeks from returning to the field, Ron Zook pronounced proudly Tuesday that every Illini participated in the morning practice.That included starting Bandit end Michael Buchanan (strained MCL), starting nose tackle Akeem Spence (ankle) and backup quarterback Reilly O'Toole (bruised throwing shoulder).Figures don't lie?Senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins declared after Saturday's game that he's the Big Ten's best receiver.While coach Ron Zook said Jenkins told him his statement might have been misconstrued, it's hard to twist basic numbers around.In Week 1, Jenkins led all Big Ten pass-catchers in receptions (11) and yards (148). He stands eighth and 10th, respectively, in the national rankings.