When USF coach Jim Leavitt chose John Hendrick to join his staff as defensive line coach, he said Hendrick would lead the Bulls' recruiting efforts in his native New Jersey. We've unearthed the first commitment from that rare northern push, as Zack Chibane, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive lineman from Paramus, N.J., said Thursday that has committed to play for the Bulls.

"I really liked the area -- I've been going down there all my life," Chibane said. "Once I met the coaches and saw the facilities, it really put it over the top."

Chibane (pronounced shuh-BAIN) committed to the Bulls in September, and said he continues to talk to Hendrick every week or two. He knows the Tampa area well because he has a grandmother who lives in St. Petersburg. He's a two-way tackle at Paramus, with 30-plus tackles on defense, but the Bulls recruited him as an offensive linemen, most likely at guard, he said.

Chibane is another case of USF getting out in front on a recruit as the first BCS program to offer him a scholarship -- he's drawn interest from Big East rivals Connecticut, Syracuse and nearby Rutgers, as well as Maryland, but his only other formal scholarship offer is from Temple, where his brother is a student.

Chibane would be USF's second recruit from New Jersey in the Big East era, following cornerback Jerome Murphy, who is from Elizabeth. Paramus coach Dan Sabella said Chibane has been a key in his team's push for the state playoffs, which start next week.

"He's a tremendous pass blocker, with really long arms, and he's agile for his size," said Sabella, noting that Chibane is also on Paramus' wrestling team as a heavyweight. "This kid is still growing, too, so he has a chance to be a good 315 pounds."

With four seniors starting on the offensive line, the Bulls have made that a key position in their recruiting efforts, with commitments already from Wesley Chapel's Kamran Joyer, Tallahassee's John McGhin and to some extent, Gainesville's Kendall Kelly. Chibane is in good shape academically, with a score of 1100 (out of 1600) on the SAT, he said.