(Editor’s note: This is one part of a four-part series on December signees by Illinois FCS programs. Tomorrow: Eastern Illinois)

In its only game of the 2020 fall season, Southern Illinois University showed off a new-look secondary.

That group limited Southeast Missouri to 53 yards passing in a 20-17 victory that featured interceptions by new transfer safeties Clayton Bush (Western Kentucky) and Aaron Maddox (Colorado), along with five combined pass breakups from starting cornerbacks Jon Thompson and P.J. Jules.

On Wednesday’s national signing day, SIU welcomed 16 new recruits, including an old friend in former Saluki defensive back James Ceasar to strengthen its defensive backfield.

“It’s going to make them better,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said of his secondary. “James is a talented guy. Our job as coaches is to find where they fit. It doesn’t matter what position you’re playing. The ultimate thing is winning. Competition makes us all better. It’s going to make them better.”

Ceasar started four games for the Salukis in 2018 before transferring to Division II Ferris State, which is closer to his native Detroit. He earned first-team all-America honors in 2019 at cornerback for Ferris, compiling six interceptions and seven pass breakups, then chose to transfer back to SIU.

The defensive back group also will welcome back safety Qua Brown, who entered the transfer portal during the pandemic but recently decided to return to the program.

SIU currently has four former defensive backs in the NFL – Jeremy Chinn (Carolina), Madre Harper (New York Giants), Craig James (Philadelphia) and Ryan Neal (Seattle).

“We’re proud of the guys that have come here and got an opportunity to play on Sundays,” Hill said.

Quotable

“This year has been met with a lot of challenges, just like a lot of things in 2020. I’m proud of the way our staff quickly adjusted to the dead (recruiting) period. We weren’t able to get on the road, weren’t able to have guys on campus this summer, and we weren’t able to get out to camps and watch these guys in person.” – Nick Hill, SIU head football coach

Where are they from?

Along with Ceasar, the Salukis’ class includes another transfer in former Western Kentucky wide receiver Jacquez Sloan. The 5-9 native of Atlanta had 77 career catches for the FBS Hilltoppers in 31 career games while seeing time at receiver, running back and kick returner.

Of the 16 members of this class, two are from Illinois high schools – defensive back Jalen Bates (Oak Park River Forest) and offensive lineman Sam Buck (Highland).

Ten different states are represented in the group, including four players from Tennessee and two each from Florida and Georgia.

Buck hails from the closest to campus at 91 miles, while Leviticus McAffee, a 6-2 defensive back from Orlando, Fla., will play more than 900 miles from home.

What positions do they play?

Five recruits are defensive backs, while four play on the offensive line and three are wide receivers. The class did not include a quarterback or a running back.

What accomplishments do they bring?

St. Louis wide receiver T.J. Atkins Jr. switched to quarterback as a senior and threw for 28 touchdowns. “He was the No. 1 guy we wanted to get,” Hill said. … Ceasar was part of Hill’s first recruiting class as head coach in 2016. … McAffee holds the Robinson High School career interceptions record with eight and limited opposing wide receivers to two catches during his senior season at cornerback in 2020. … Defensive back Delmontre Pryor played prep ball at Jones High School in Orlando. That’s the same high school that produced current Salukis P.J. Jules and Calvin Francis Jr. … Defensive line recruit Caden Reeves is a native of Kansas and joins his older brother and fellow D-lineman Peyton on the SIU roster.

SIU December signees:

(Name, position, height, weight, hometown, previous school)

T.J. Atkins Jr., WR, 6-1, 187, St. Louis, Cardinal Ritter College Prep

Jalen Bates, DB, 6-0, 175, Oak Park, Ill., Oak Park River Forest HS

Sam Buck, OL, 6-3, 295, Highland, Ill., Highland HS

James Ceasar, DB, 5-10, 195, Detroit, Ferris State University

Mani Jackson, DL, 6-2, 250, Brownsburg, Ind., Brownsburg HS

Michael King, WR, 6-2, 180, Memphis, Germantown HS

Leviticus McAffee, DB, 6-2, 175, Tampa, Fla., Robinson HS

Jon Nalley, OL, 6-6, 295, Utica, Ky., Daviess County HS

Cejai Parson, DB, 6-1, 180, Memphis, White Station HS

Delmontre Pryor, DB, 5-11, 190, Orlando, Fla., Jones HS

Aidan Quinn, TE, 6-1, 210, Greenbrier, Tenn., Davidson Academy

Caden Reeves, DL, 6-3, 260, Basehor, Kan., Saint Thomas Aquinas HS

Rahyiem Rowe, OL, 6-3, 300, Fairburn, Ga., Creekside HS

Jacquez Sloan, WR, 5-9, 165, Atlanta, Western Kentucky University

Ethan Tyla, OL, 6-3, 280, Fairfield, Ohio, Fairfield Senior HS

Louis Wilbert, LB, 6-2, 220, Memphis, Ridgeway HS

Three Floyds brewpub in Munster, which had closed to indoor dining at the start of the pandemic, has announced they will close permanently. The Times of Northwest Indiana broke the story Wednesday. The production brewing and distilling operations will continue, with curbside pickup at the attached brewery.

Three Floyds financed its brewpub in the early 2000s by selling equity shares, with each shareholder offered one free pint of beer per day. It was an unusual form of fundraising in the era before online crowdsourcing.

The Floyds had been planning an expansion of their public space, another plan put on hold because of the pandemic. While it’s still possible the public component could return, there is now no definite timeline for that to happen.

Friday, December 18

Saturday, December 19

Sunday, December 20

(Editor’s note: This is one part of a four-part series on December signees by Illinois FCS programs. Tomorrow: Southern Illinois)

With recruiting visits limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, creativity was a must for Illinois State University’s football program in the months building up to Wednesday’s national signing day.

“Our staff did a tremendous job recruiting this class in a very difficult time,” Redbirds head coach Brock Spack during a virtual press conference to announce the December signees. “I feel really bad for the recruits that had to go through this.”

Despite no fall season in Illinois, the Redbirds pulled in a total of 20 players, including nine from Illinois high schools.

Eighteen players signed national letters of intent, according to the university, and two joined the program as preferred walk-ons.

Spack recognized one specific member of his staff for exemplary recruiting work during the pandemic – quality control coach Nick Meyer.

“I don’t know if we sign this class without Nick,” said Spack, who noted that Meyer’s responsibilities include creating graphics that are shared with recruits and via social media. “He was instrumental.”

Spack said Meyer was able to create unique ways to communicate with athletes and their families via graphics.

“He deserves a lot of credit,” Spack said.

Quotable

“We’re always looking for offensive linemen, because we build our team from the inside out.” –Spack said of his class, which included five O-linemen.

Where are they from?

Of the 20 players joining the program, nine are from Illinois, ranging from Rockford to the north down to O’Fallon to the south.

Four players are from Texas, where the program has had a steady stream of recruiting success. Two players are from Michigan and Indiana. Three other states (Ohio, Missouri and Kansas) are represented as well.

Offensive lineman Aidan Kinnaird hails from Austin, Texas, which is the farthest away from Normal in the entire class at 992 miles.

Reese Edwards, a linebacker, grew up a mere 74 miles from campus in Springfield.

What positions do they play?

Along with five offensive linemen and three defensive backs, the Redbirds added two quarterbacks and two running backs.

Those are two crowded positions on the Redbirds’ roster. Eight running backs are on the current roster, and just one is a senior.

“We’re gaining a reputation of having some pretty good tailbacks here,” Spack said.

The team currently has five QBs on its roster, with only one senior.

ISU also brought in two players each at linebacker and tight end.

What accomplishments do they bring?

Sean Allen, a running back from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in suburban Chicago, rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2019. Allen is related to ISU’s all-time leading rusher Marshaun Coprich. … Linebacker Bobby Babcock (Hobart, Ind.) was named Mr. Football at his position in the state. … Quarterback Timothy Dorsey helped Bishop Miege High School in Olathe, Kan., to its sixth consecutive state title in 2019. … Edwards has an older brother, Grant, who plays at in-state rival Eastern Illinois. … Running back Wenkers Wright (Floyds Knobs, Ind.) was born in Haiti. He rushed for more than 3,200 yards and 46 TDs in his final two prep seasons.

When will they arrive?

Two of the signees will be mid-year additions – athlete Jeff Bowens (5-9, 160) and offensive lineman Carter DeGraaf (6-6, 310). Both players hail from Michigan.

The rest of the class will arrive in the fall, including two preferred walk-ons — 6-7 tight end Jarrett Strate-Lutzow from Rockford and 270-pound offensive lineman Ryan Heffelfinger of Sterling in northwestern Illinois.

ISU December signees:

(Name, position, height, weight, hometown, previous school)

Sean Allen, RB, 5-10, 200 Glenwood, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor HS

Bobby Babcock, LB, 6-0, 230, Hobart, Ind., Hobart HS

Jeff Bowens, ATH, 5-9, 160, Southfield, Mich., Southfield A&T HS

J’Kalon Carter, WR, 6-0, 170, Aubrey, Texas, Braswell HS

Carter DeGraaf, OL, 6-6, 310, Hudsonville, Mich., Center Grove (Ind.) HS

Timothy Dorsey, QB, 6-0, 190, Olathe, Kan., Bishop Miege HS

Jack Dwyer, DB, 6-0, 185, Hawthorn Woods, Ill., Lake Zurich HS

Reese Edwards, LB, 6-3, 215, Springfield, Ill., Sacred Heart-Griffin HS

Ryan Gudaitis, OL, 6-4, 260, Arlington Heights, Ill., Hersey HS

Nick Kessler, TE, 6-6, 230, Marysville, Ohio, Marysville HS

Aidan Kinnaird, OL, 6-5, 320, Austin, Texas, Westlake HS

Cameron Nelson, DB, 6-0, 175, Dallas Texas, Kimball HS

Scotty Presson, FB, 6-3, 240, Florissant, Mo., East St. Louis HS

Tommy Rittenhouse, QB, 5-11, 180, Geneva, Ill., St. Francis HS

Boden Turner, OL, 6-4, 260, Manteno, Ill., St. Rita HS

Ian Wagner, K, 6-2, 210, Sierra Vista, Ariz., O’Fallon (Ill.) HS

Cam Wilson, DB, 5-11, 170, Cedar Hill, Texas, Trinity Christian HS

Wenkers Wright, RB, 6-1, 185, Floyds Knobs, Ind., Floyd Central HS

BY SANDRA GUY

Now that we’re daring to hope for a New Year of recovery, what better way to celebrate than to create — and this time, meet — your fitness goals? Here are my tried-and-true tips:

• Find teachers who motivate and inspire you, who make you laugh but also bring out your inner ambition to be the best and fittest person in class. It’s similar to finding a favorite pastor, priest, celebrity or TV personality you’d set your alarm to see or hear.

• Commit to the same “me” time every day, preferably in the morning before you let yourself get distracted by email and chores. Remind yourself that this time is your well-deserved treat — an indulgence.

• Read and listen to the news for motivation. You’ll find daily headlines and radio and TV news stories about scientific studies that show exercise benefits much more than your physical strength. In just the past few days, headlines and radio news stories have detailed how exercising 300 minutes a week teaches the body to burn more fuel, as well as a study in Finland that showed a link between heart-healthy behaviors, including exercise, and a lower risk for dementia in later life.

• Explore options and choose least-expensive ones that get results. You’ll have bragging rights about your bargain. For example, I bought a $50 CD player with a screen — something that parents give their children so the kids can watch movies on a long car trip — so that my husband and I could work out to his old P90X classes. The workouts are fabulous – and playing CDs requires no ongoing subscriptions.

• But if you find a subscription-based workout that you love, go for it. Make it a budget priority because it will be worth it in so many ways. My favorite is LES MILLS, an Australian-based workout series that features teachers from throughout the world. I love the accents, the energy and the quick pace.

• Stay active in your workout-club community via Zoom or remote video classes. Two students of workout teacher extraordinaire Sue Wen’s East Bank Club classes set up a Zoom-based workout program to let others share in Wen’s expertise. It’s subscription-based at https://www.virtualstudiospace.com/

• Set up a playlist that makes you feel great — one that you want to replay over and over. Play your favorite music over top of a video class.

• Admit it — it’s fun to be competitive – and even to leave your mark on the class. Find a class where everyone posts his or her smartwatch or fitness-tracker results so you can strive to get better and even surpass your classmates’ results.

• See how strong you can get. Don’t settle for five-pound weights. After a few weeks, start using seven-pound weights, and then 10-pound weights.

• Feel young and free. Jump rope. Shoot baskets. Throw yourself into Zumba. Find a retro dance class so you can do the “pony” or the “Bristol stomp” again.

• Escape into the freedom of virtual worlds. A spin bike transforms into a magic carpet ride with a videogame-like simulation (you can find these spin classes online), as you “ride” up and down magical roller-coaster-like hills with pop-up fantastical scenery. Or watch a video led by a teacher you want to look like.

• Give yourself regular rewards in a way you haven’t done before. Buy a soft housecoat. Set up an in-home spa afternoon. Give yourself a facial.

You’ll even find yourself laughing as you immerse yourself in online searches for your favorite workout music, video exercise classes and throwback scenery. Take pride in choreographing snippets of a variety of exercise classes and make it your own.

FREAKY

Genre: Horror Comedy

Rating: R

Running Time: 103 mins.

Where Can You See It?: In Theaters & PVOD

Premise: It’s basically Freaky Friday the 13th. A grisly serial killer named The Butcher (Vince Vaughn) and teenage girl Millie (Kathryn Newton) switch bodies after he stabs her with a magic-infused knife.

Behind-the-Scenes: Hails from Blumhouse and the same director of Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2 U – Christopher Landon. This is Vaughn’s first comedy in quite a while. He’s been in serious mode as an actor since 2015’s flop, Unfinished Business.

The Good: What a killer concept. Literally. I mean, c’mon – Freaky Friday the 13th. Ingenious. While the movie doesn’t always live up to the comedic possibilities you might conjure in your mind, it’s still plenty entertaining. I saw this in a near empty AMC theater back in November, and that was a shame because it’s the kind of movie designed to play like gangbusters at a rowdy, packed Friday night screening. The kills are over-the-top and gratuitous in hilarious ways, and Vaughn seems to be having a blast getting in touch with his inner teenage girl. He plays it pretty broad, but it’s nice to see him letting loose. Director Landon has a real knack for finding humor in violent, horrific scenarios, and between this and his Happy Death Day films, he’s provided a welcome breath of fresh air to the horror genre. I’ll see anything he makes from here.

The Bad: I wish The Butcher had more of a personality. As written, he’s all silent menace, so when the characters switch bodies, Newton is stuck playing a cypher. There’s really nothing to dig into, other than playing it stone-faced. More definable personality traits would have really added something. A subplot about Millie (while in the body of Vaughn) trying to connect with her mother in a department store dressing room falls flat. There’s also a really weird car scene between Vaughn and Millie’s boy crush that seems designed for laughs, but registers as too odd to achieve them. Some of the slapstick humor may not work for everyone.

Should You See It?: Yes. It’s a fun, silly romp with a splash of outrageous kills. Good for a Friday night flick. If you missed it in theaters, now’s a perfect time to catch up with it.

Star Rating: *** out of 5 stars

Better Than: Friday the 13th remake

Worse Than: Freaky Friday remake

* * *

For more movie/TV commentary and other mischief, follow me on Twitter: @Hammervision and on Letterboxd: @Hammervision

BET just recently announced their holiday slate of films which kicked off on December 5th on BET and BETher. On December 16th Holiday Heartbreak airs featuring fellow Chicagoan LisaRaye McCoy.

LisaRaye has appeared in The Parent ‘Hood, In the House, was featured on Bravo’s The It Factor, and caught American’s attention in the popular film Playas Club before she landed her starring role on the CW Network’s hit comedy series All of Us. Shes also has appeared alongside Jada Smith in her show Hawthorne.

Holiday Heartbreak premieres today at 6 PM ET/PT on BET and BET Her (Available 12/20 on BET+.)!