It's Difficult for Kickers to Get a Look

"It's totally different," said DeMatha Coach Bill McGregor, who annually sends more than 10 players to college on scholarship.

Pittman Positions Himself

Before this season, all of Rodney Pittman's highlights showed him playing defensive end for Friendly, starting in a three-point stance and rushing the passer or tackling running backs. The video looks much different this season with the 6-foot3, 210-pound senior playing linebacker for the Fort Washington school. In the past week, Illinois, Eastern Michigan and James Madison have offered Pittman a scholarship, Friendly assistant coach Marcus Berry said.

"He's going to get more," Berry said. "He's been making some plays. He has that height, long arms and can run a little bit. I knew it was just a matter of time with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets two or three more [offers] next week."

Berry said that Connecticut, Boston College, West Virginia and Michigan State have been showing interest along with most of the schools in the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

Pittman has scheduled a visit to Illinois in December. The Fighting Illini's assistant in charge of recruiting the area is defensive line coach Donnie Thompson, who knows the area well after spending 12 seasons at North Carolina.

Bulldogs Attracting Attention

Hiring the first black coach in the history of the Southeastern Conference has helped Mississippi State widen its recruiting. Although Atlanta and New Orleans are the Bulldogs' two main recruiting areas outside of their home state, potential targets are showing interest from all over, including the Washington area, where Potomac (Md.) offensive lineman Gus Parrish and wide receiver Korey Coles are interested in playing for Coach Sylvester Croom. It's a theme that has become familiar, according to Shane Beamer, Mississippi State's cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.

"It gets our foot in a lot of doors," said Beamer, whose father is Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. "And [it] has generated a lot more interest than Mississippi State is used to."

Beamer said he is hearing from players in cities where Croom previously coached; Croom spent 17 seasons with five teams in the NFL before being hired by Mississippi State after last season.

"We've gotten interest from guys in Detroit and California, all the places that Coach Croom coached in the NFL," Beamer said.