DiLuigi among Y. recruits chasing titles

It's been more than eight months since I first met J.J. DiLuigi, a fireplug high school running back from California, as he stood on the sidelines during BYU's final day of spring football practice.

He wore a letterman's jacket with a giant "C" and the name DiLuigi displayed prominently on the front. I shook his hand, introduced myself and wondered just how good of a recruit this kid was. He appeared kind of small at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds.

His eyes, however, looked like they were hauling in data like a pair of satellite dishes. He appeared antsy, like he should be playing a game somewhere.

DiLuigi, at the time, had just finished a junior season in which he set a Canyon Country High School record by rushing for 1,870 yards. He'd just scored 37 touchdowns in the CIF section in which former Cougar quarterback Ben Olson competed.

Back in April, I wondered how a back his size could put up such numbers. Apparently, judging him by his height and weight is your first mistake.

DiLuigi just finished breaking his own record this past week, rushing for 1,915 yards and 36 touchdowns. Only six other California high school players have scored more touchdowns this season, and he ranks 10th in the state in scoring. DiLuigi scored four TDs last week in a win over Westlake when he gained 204 yards on 23 carries.

He ripped off his longest run of the year, a 71-yarder on the first play of the game against Westlake. "Tonight may have been his finest moment," Canyon coach Harry Welch told reporters after that game.

What kind of player is DiLuigi? Well, he's scored 16 touchdowns in the past three games. He's averaging 160.6 yards a game, 8.64 yards per carry.

Two months after I met the kid, he was back in Provo last June and a few days after that, he and his father, John, drove all the way back to Utah to commit face-to-face with BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

DiLuigi is a prospect BYU will play at slotback, a place manned by senior Nate Meikle the past two seasons. On Saturday at the Home Depot Center, he will lead his team to the CIF title game against Moorpark.

Since I've never seen DiLuigi play in person, for perspective on the season he's having, I called Brentt Eads of Student Sports Magazine.

"J.J.'s a typical Harry Welch type of kid: He's tough, durable and hard-nosed," Eads said.

"Obviously, DiLuigi's size is the reason Pac-10 and other BCS schools backed off, but he's the type of overachiever who will win and succeed on sheer heart alone."