Nearly one-third of top 100 recruits attended Catholic schools

Around the country student-athletes from traditional Catholic high school powerhouse football teams made signing-day headlines both for the schools they will be attending and the schools for which they’ve left a legacy.

Don Bosco Prep, Archbishop Moeller, De La Salle, Bishop Gorman and Indianapolis Cathedral are just a few of the high schools who have sent top talent to some of the nation’s premier BCS football programs. That’s not to mention the hundreds of other players who have committed to further their football careers at non-BCS schools.

From highly touted Rutgers signees Darius Hamilton and Leonte Carroo to Boston College signee Michael Strizak, Don Bosco Prep was a major proving ground for BCS recruiters.

Notre Dame landed recruited a top 10 class and landed several of the nation’s top student-athletes with quite a few of them coming from the upper echelon of Catholic high school programs.

The Irish 2012 recruiting class includes standout players from traditional Catholic powerhouse football teams including Don Bosco Prep defensive back Elijah Shumate, Bishop Gorman offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, Indianapolis Cathedral defensive back John Turner and Rochester Aquinas Institute offensive lineman Jarron Jones.

Taking a look at the CatholicSportsNet.com’s final top 10 power rankings as well as teams that were ranked in the CSN power rankings during the season, here is a quick breakdown of the student-athletes and where they landed in Division I football:

CSN.com’s No. 1 ranked Trinity high school sent four linemen to Division I schools, two of them to FBS teams, one to an FCS team and one to an Ivy League school. Headed by 6’6” 275lb OT/OG Joey Warburg and his commitment to Purdue, it is no wonder the Shamrocks finished at the top of the polls. That offensive line also featured 6’4” 280lb Tyler English (Western Kentucky Univ.) and center John Michael Heile (Brown Univ.). Defensive end Tyler Sweeden committed to University of Tennessee-Martin.

The No. 3 team in the CSN.com power rankings, Our Lady of Good Counsel, features wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who will announce his choice on Feb. 10. Diggs has been hotly recruited by Ohio State, Auburn, California and Maryland. Diggs’ Good Counsel teammates, running back Wes Brown and offensive lineman Mike Madaras, both committed to Maryland on Wednesday.

De La Salle (Concord, CA) quarterback Bart Houston is headed to Wisconsin to further his career. The 6’4” 215lb signal caller may someday get a chance to face teammate Michael Barton in the Rose Bowl. Barton, a linebacker, signed with the University of California. Another defensive teammate, defensive back Josh Jenkins, signed with Army.

Bishop Gorman’s mammoth offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley committed to Notre Dame. Running back Shaquille Powell committed to Duke and LB/Safety Marc Philippi and offensive guard Ron Scoggins both committed to UNLV.

Out of Pennsylvania, Bishop McDevitt defensive end Noah Spence committed to Urban Meyer and Ohio State and quarterback St. Joseph’s Prep quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg committed to Florida. But the biggest recruiting bonanza went to Pennsylvania’s AAA state champion Archbishop Wood high school, who sent seven players to Division I schools.

Wood’s superb tight end Colin Thompson will be joining Mornhinweg at Florida. Frank Taylor signed with Boston College while running back Desmon Peoples and lineman Brandon Arcidiacono signed with Rutgers. Brandon Peoples and Nate Smith signed with Temple and Ryan McMullin committed to Villanova.