Beebe commits to Northern Illinois
Due to injuries the past two seasons, Aurora Christian receiver Chad Beebe has been on the football field less than he would like.
It’s been enough, however, for college programs to take notice of Beebe’s on-a-dime cuts, precise pass routes and great hands. Programs such as Northern Illinois, to whom the incoming senior committed to play on Saturday.
The NIU offer was among eight for Beebe, son of Aurora Christian head coach and former NFL receiver Don Beebe. Wyoming, Ball State, Bowling Green, Illinois State, Western Illinois, North Dakota and Colgate were the others.
Chad Beebe probably would have received offers from Purdue and Northwestern had he desired to attend their one-day camps, Don Beebe wrote in an email, but Chad was set on the Northern Illinois Huskies.
A broken collarbone and separated shoulder suffered in 2011 preseason training held Chad Beebe out of the Eagles’ first six games and seven of the first eight. He came back in a big way Week 9 with 7 catches for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns against Aurora Central Catholic, and caught 10 passes in each of Aurora Christian’s first two Class 3A playoff games, against Kewanee and Oregon.
Beebe reaggravated the shoulder injury in the state semifinal against Tolono Unity, and did not play in the Eagles’ 3A championship victory over Mt. Carmel. As a sophomore starter he suffered a broken foot and played through it most of the season, finishing with team highs of 53 receptions for 840 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Ÿ On Friday, St. Charles East incoming sophomore Brennan Bosch received his first offer, from Illinois. He did his legwork about two weeks ago by sending in game film, school grades and his “football resume,” and followed up with a call to Illini offensive line coach Luke Butkus. Butkus asked Bosch to come for a visit, and at that June 9 visit extended the offer.
“It feels really good,” said Bosch, younger brother of Michigan recruit Kyle Bosch, an incoming senior offensive tackle at St. Francis. “I was actually pretty surprised they gave me the offer. It was getting close to the end of the visit and probably the last 10 minutes is when they offered me.”
The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Brennan Bosch, a converted defensive end, was moved to offensive tackle when promoted to the Saints’ sophomore team after the second game last fall. He anticipates playing on varsity this fall.
The Illinois offer will almost assuredly be only the first. Bosch said he will be visiting Michigan within the next several weeks and looks forward to renewing relationships at other schools he visited while joining his brother on recruiting trips. Kyle Bosch, now 6-6, 305, received 23 scholarship offers.
“I’ve gone all over the place with my brother, I’ve gotten to meet a lot of coaches,” Brennan said. “ ... I’m still going on a bunch of visits after this.”