INDIANAPOLIS — Having devoured In-N-Out burgers, strolled the Santa Monica beach and enjoyed a visit to Little Ethiopia, Keeanu Benton gets the allure.
"Who doesn't want to go to Cali?" the Wisconsin nose tackle said Wednesday with a laugh.
In the years to come, UCLA and USC will enjoy some natural advantages in their pursuit of high school prospects from Big Ten territory. The beaches. The weather. The (animal style) cuisine.
Those pluses will be magnified by the Bruins and Trojans playing a handful of games each season in the Midwest and on the East Coast once they join the Big Ten in 2024. Players who grew up on Illinois farmland can go to college in Southern California while playing within several hours' drive of their home once or twice a season, allowing their families to see them play in person.
"They'll try to come in and poach players out of our area, our neck of the woods," Barry Alvarez, the former longtime Wisconsin coach who now serves as a special advisor for football for the Big Ten, said of UCLA and USC during Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The opposite applies as well. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, whose roster includes eight California natives — not to mention transfer punter Luke Akers, who spent two seasons at UCLA after growing up in Tennessee — sees the opportunity for more California dreamin'.
"Absolutely, it's going to help," Fitzgerald said, noting the availability of low-cost flights between Chicago and Los Angeles that would allow families from Southern California see their sons play conference road games without taking out a second mortgage on their homes.
While his next recruiting class is largely set, Illinois coach Bret Bielema said he foresaw his recruiting venturing more heavily into California — where star quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs sprout like citrus fruit — starting with the class of 2024.
UCLA's move to the Big Ten will turn longtime friends into rivals. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he was on the 16th hole of a New Hampshire golf course with Bruins counterpart Chip Kelly when Nebraska coach Scott Frost, a mutual friend, called to deliver the news that UCLA and USC were joining the Big Ten.
"We found out about halfway through that hole that we were in the same conference together," Day said, "and we had a great laugh about that."
The chuckles could cease once the coaches start competing for the same standout wide receivers from Southern California and top offensive linemen from corn-fed states in the Midwest.
Fitzgerald probably knows the California landscape as well as any of his Big Ten rivals, having been responsible for areas spanning the San Fernando Valley up to San Luis Obispo, over to Fresno and down through Bakersfield and Palmdale when he was a linebackers and special teams coach at Idaho.
"I've got a pretty good understanding of the Valley — the Tom Petty song ["Free Fallin' "] notwithstanding," Fitzgerald cracked.
Like in everything else, location will matter when recruits are weighing their options.
"When you're picking your second home," said Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown, a New Jersey native, "me personally, I didn't want to be too far away from my first home, so that played a [big role] in my recruiting process, but everybody's different. Some people like to go far away from home, some people like to stay close to home, so I'm guessing it depends on what kind of kids you've got."
Consider Nittany Lion teammate P.J. Mustipher the ultimate homebody, then.
"No West Coast teams," said the defensive tackle who hails from Owings Mills, Md. "I wasn't going out to the West Coast — I'm an East Coast boy, man. That's too far for me. I ain't leaving my mama. I thought I wanted to be far away from my mom and dad and I'm only 2 1/2 [hours] and that's kind of too far some days, but nah, I ain't [doing it]. Who wants to go out to the West Coast if you're from the East Coast?"
Benton, who once thought he was going to become a carpenter or electrician out of high school because he didn't receive any scholarship offers until the end of his junior year, might have the best advice for any suitor hoping to land prospects: Show early devotion.
"Wisconsin was the first to give me a try and this is where I really wanted to go," Benton said, "so it wasn't really a question."
Scott Frost, Herm Edwards and other top college coaches on the hot seat
Dino Babers, Syracuse
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Syracuse is coming off its fifth losing season under Babers in the last six years, with the Orange posting a 29-43 record, including a 10-3 mark in 2018 that featured the program’s first bowl appearance since 2013. Athletics director John Wildhack threw his support behind Babers for the 2022 season after a flurry of assistant coaching changes, including firing offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert. To make matters worse, Syracuse faces one of the most demanding schedules in the country with games against Purdue, NC State, Clemson, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.
Herm Edwards, Arizona State
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Public support for Edwards is quickly eroding after the program faced a challenging offseason that included an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. There has also been a mass exodus of talent, with more than two dozen players entering the transfer portal led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, linebacker Eric Gentry, receiver Ricky Pearsall and defensive lineman Jermayne Lole. Edwards’ future is undoubtedly tied to that of AD Ray Anderson, who has been his staunchest supporter since arriving in Tempe.
Scott Frost, Nebraska
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Most people outside of Lincoln believe this to be a critical season for Frost, particularly after a disappointing 15-29 record in his four seasons at Nebraska. While supporters will point to the fact that 21 of his 29 losses were decided by one score, there is also the recently wrapped up NCAA investigation that saddled Frost with a one-year show-cause penalty. After firing most of the offensive staff, the Huskers turn to former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who did wonders with quarterback Kenny Pickett last season. He’ll work with Texas transfer Casey Thompson, who replaces the departed Adrian Martinez.
Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech has failed to win more than three games in the last three seasons, begging the question if this could be the beginning of the end for Collins. The Yellow Jackets finished with a top 45 recruiting class each season but haven’t broken through in the win column. To make matters worse, they’ve lost some talented players in tailback Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) and defensive lineman Jared Ivey (Ole Miss) to the transfer portal. The schedule is brutal, with games against Clemson, Ole Miss, UCF and Pittsburgh in the first five weeks.
Bryan Harsin, Auburn
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Right from the start, Harsin never seemed a perfect fit at Auburn. While the 45-year-old coach led Boise State to a 69-19 mark in seven seasons, his connection to SEC football was almost nonexistent. The Tigers finished a disappointing 6-7 last season, capped off by a 5-game losing streak at the end. Harsin survived an offseason investigation into allegations of player mistreatment that further strained his relationship with the fan base. The departures of several players, including quarterback Bo Nix, leaves Auburn searching for his replacement. Any move would be costly, with Harsin owed $15 million. That’s on top of the $27 million they paid former coach Gus Malzahn as part of his buyout after the 2020 season.
Jeff Scott, USF
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The Bulls have three wins — two of which were against Football Championship Subdivision foes — over the past two seasons under Scott. Despite the rough start, USF athletics director Michael Kelly has been a staunch supporter of his football coach, even going as far as to say the “future is bright” with him in charge. But Kelly did acknowledge that tangible results need to be seen. Off the field, Scott’s been instrumental in helping raise money for the new indoor football facility and the possible on-campus stadium. The Bulls welcome 21 new players, including a bevy of transfers, to a roster with 18 returning starters. The schedule is a challenge, particularly early on with games against N.C. State, Florida and BYU in the first month.
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
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A disappointing finish to his first season one in which Texas lost six straight games, had Longhorns faithful feeling uneasy about Sarkisian. Talent has never been an issue with the Longhorns, but it’s been more of a question of what they’ve been able to do with it. Disappointing losses to Kansas left fans bewildered. The roster underwent a makeover with quarterback Casey Thompson and receiver Marcus Washington leaving for Nebraska. Still, the staff added transfer receivers Agiye Hall (Alabama) and Isaiah Neyor (SMU), along with tight end Jahleel Billingsley (Alabama). With a top-5 recruiting class for 2023 that includes a commitment from No. 1 prospect Arch Manning, expectations are sky-high in Austin.
