Jalen James turns recruiter for Illini

"I'm pushing real hard to get Malcolm Hill. That's my main focus right now," James said Thursday. "I think I'm kind of close to getting him to commit."

James' orange-and-blue salesmanship isn't limited to text messages and phone calls, either. Hill has an unofficial visit scheduled for the Illinois-South Dakota State football game on Sept. 10. James is planning to be there, too.

Klee