Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#401      
FSU trying real hard for Shammond Jan 3rd cant some soon enough for the staff. As for Luke Ford he is just appeasing Kirby right now so he will get his release.
I think you could be right on Ford but Im betting that someone close to him is also pushing him to stay put.
 
#402      
Ah, you read Werner’s tweet earlier today👍
Posted 11hrs ago. Just give the guy a solid since he provided early scoop.

This isn’t Werner’s story, it’s A Werner tweet on a Jon Garcia story. I also think it’s far from a scoop. I don’t think FSU has been covert in their push for Cooper.

I’m glad to get news from people and the info Illini0440 has provided me has been spot on.
 
#405      
This isn’t Werner’s story, it’s A Werner tweet on a Jon Garcia story. I also think it’s far from a scoop. I don’t think FSU has been covert in their push for Cooper.

I’m glad to get news from people and the info Illini0440 has provided me has been spot on.

Taggart has missed on a lot of his targets this year and the program is in a state of choas. Jimbo destroyed it and UF is taking advantage of it. We saw FSU offer Randolph a couple of days before the early signing day. Now we see FSU going after Cooper. Hopefully Shammond understands like Randolph did that he was not a priority for the Noles until they swung and whiffed.
 
#407      
Taggart has missed on a lot of his targets this year and the program is in a state of choas. Jimbo destroyed it and UF is taking advantage of it. We saw FSU offer Randolph a couple of days before the early signing day. Now we see FSU going after Cooper. Hopefully Shammond understands like Randolph did that he was not a priority for the Noles until they swung and whiffed.

We won't know for sure, but the tea leaves suggest Oklahoma is a bigger threat than Florida State. But, what do I know?
 
#409      

FT35

Naperville
FSU trying real hard for Shammond Jan 3rd cant some soon enough for the staff. As for Luke Ford he is just appeasing Kirby right now so he will get his release.

I thought we were in a dead period? If we are then why is all of this happening now or were they making their pitch around the same time they offered Randolph?

I was hoping that Cooper had signed a LOI and was just going to announce on the 3rd but it doesn't seem like that is the case at all if he's going to visit FSU later in the month. This announcement next week really doesn't mean anything.

It's sad that we have put in all of this time and a team can jump in after having a boat load of decommits and poach a guy away like this. Cooper seems to be ABI anyways. It seems like everyone around him wants him to go to Illinois but he really doesn't want to be here.

I really don't know where we go from here if we lose out on Cooper? Any hopes of going to a 4-3-4 defense are probably gone if we lose Cooper. I get that he would not be ready to be a MLB but he has the athleticism and size to be a competent OLB in this defense in 2019. I would like to be bullish on guys like Hollins and Tholson but there is probably a reason why these guys weren't getting snaps at LB last year.

As far as Ford goes, I was kind of meh on him anyways. I'd be happy to have him but he would have to sit out a year anyways so it's hard to get excited about a guy who wouldn't even play for us until the fall of 2020. His HS highlights aren't that impressive. He looks slow and is just dominating against pretty poor competition. It honestly looks like a 15 year old playing in the JFL. There must be a reason that Auburn and Georgia were fighting over him but I just don't see it.
 
#410      

Deleted member 654622

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I was hoping that Cooper had signed a LOI and was just going to announce on the 3rd but it doesn't seem like that is the case at all if he's going to visit FSU later in the month. This announcement next week really doesn't mean anything.
It seems like everyone around him wants him to go to Illinois but he really doesn't want to be here.
Was thinking the same thing about the presigning. Guess that is out the window.
I would think if Shammond really didn't want to be at Illinois, he would have taken some visits to other schools. I think he only went to Oklahoma once correct?
 
#411      

FT35

Naperville
Was thinking the same thing about the presigning. Guess that is out the window.
I would think if Shammond really didn't want to be at Illinois, he would have taken some visits to other schools. I think he only went to Oklahoma once correct?

He visited Oklahoma in July. However, after that visit, an Oklahoma guy put in a CB for Illinois. My guess is that Oklahoma never made a push for Cooper. If they did then I would think Cooper would be there.

I have zero inside information but from the outside looking in it appears that he's looking for excuses not to come here. Otherwise, why not sign and then announce later on?

Dayven Coleman signed with Arizona in December of 2017, after we had the last OV. He didn't announce until February, however. It was odd since Arizona even had a coaching change in between when he signed and announced.
 
#415      
You would think this would help with JTs transfer waiver
 

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#416      
He visited Oklahoma in July. However, after that visit, an Oklahoma guy put in a CB for Illinois. My guess is that Oklahoma never made a push for Cooper. If they did then I would think Cooper would be there.

I have zero inside information but from the outside looking in it appears that he's looking for excuses not to come here. Otherwise, why not sign and then announce later on?

Dayven Coleman signed with Arizona in December of 2017, after we had the last OV. He didn't announce until February, however. It was odd since Arizona even had a coaching change in between when he signed and announced.

I could see someone wanting to announce at an event, to make it more exciting. From what I have heard, Cooper has not wavered much, but has listened to suitors and taken his time. I don't think this is a bad thing. Nor do I think this doesn't play in our favor. The staff wanted him to take his time and make the right choice. He is listening to others and has not made a choice yet. I heard his dad was very high on Oklahoma and even commented that Oklahoma has a hard tradition to turn down. I am sure that some people that are not high on Illinois are in his ear as well.

Although I think that Illinois would be a great landing spot for him, it is great for him to take his time and make his choice. I think he will choose Illinois and I trust he will make the best deciision for him
 
#417      

FT35

Naperville
I wonder if the staff would take him if he did. My guess is no.

For the sake of the future of our program, I would sure hope so. We are desperate for an interior HS OL and there is no one out there who is even close to Clark.

This one seems like a longshot regardless. Clark may have committed to the school as opposed to the coach. It just took a late offer ad one visit to change his mind. He'll probably stick around to see who they hire. Given that Richt retired just a couple of weeks after Clark committed indicates to me that he probably didn't put that much effort into this recruitment.

I remember hoping that Tre Adams would back out of his LOI at Arizona last year when Rodriguez was fired but a lot of kids stick around in these situations.
 
#418      

Hoppy2105

Little Rock, Arkansas
I wonder if the staff would take him if he did. My guess is no.

The way he said he was “done” with recruiting and then jumped ship as soon as Miami came calling makes me think the staff won’t want him back.

It seems being true to your word is highly valued amongst the staff. Sort of a “We won’t rush you to commit, but if you do, it’s 100%. Make the right decision and let it be the final one” sort of thing. Then, if a kid backs out after making that pledge, it lets the coaches know there could be potential issues. (Loyalty, being true to your word, short sightedness, bad decision making, heavy influence by outside sources...etc) Things that are very common among the HS recruiting scene.

Then the coaches can decide to stay away or get back in depending on the potential issue.

Either that or they just get butt-hurt when kids de-commit. :thumb:

0440, any insight on the way they think?
 
#419      

FT35

Naperville
The way he said he was “done” with recruiting and then jumped ship as soon as Miami came calling makes me think the staff won’t want him back.

It seems being true to your word is highly valued amongst the staff. Sort of a “We won’t rush you to commit, but if you do, it’s 100%. Make the right decision and let it be the final one” sort of thing. Then, if a kid backs out after making that pledge, it lets the coaches know there could be potential issues. (Loyalty, being true to your word, short sightedness, bad decision making, heavy influence by outside sources...etc) Things that are very common among the HS recruiting scene.

Then the coaches can decide to stay away or get back in depending on the potential issue.

Either that or they just get butt-hurt when kids de-commit. :thumb:

0440, any insight on the way they think?

I can understand why the staff is taking this stance.

However, if they aren't replacing these guys with comparable recruits then they need to get over themselves. The OL recruiting this year was brutally bad and we need HS OL on the roster to develop NOW. We saw in 2017 how brutally bad things can get when you are forced to start True Freshmen on the OL . We also need to make up for Unije leaving.

I can understand why they don't care about WRs as much since True Freshmen can make a major impact at that position. OL is just a totally different situation.
 
#421      
Yes. Jakai Clark signed with them. I would hope he can back out of it.

We are SO thin with our young developing O-line. Next year we'll have Green & Boyd as Sophs, Slaughter & Myers as Fr & Kirts as the only one incoming. That is ridiculous! Even though we'll have another small class next year, we must add at least 4 or 5 OL's. And we really need to add one late in this class.
More than likely though Clark stays, unless the new Miami staff would surprisingly not want him there.
 
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#422      

Deleted member 633632

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I did some digging and here's my two cents, but I think many of you are looking way too much into the visit to FSU....

Cooper is not going there. He has been an Illini since before the season began and he has communicated everything with Thad and coach P the whole time and Lovie has given his full support for him to play the process out the way Shammond and his family have wanted it to.

It's January in the midwest fella's! A weekends paid vacation for you and your family in Tallahassee to end off a long football and recruiting season, isnt such a bad thing guys!!

If the staff is supportive and unbothered by the visit because of the longevity and strength of their relationship, we shouldn't be worried either...
 
#423      

FT35

Naperville
I did some digging and here's my two cents, but I think many of you are looking way too much into the visit to FSU....

Cooper is not going there. He has been an Illini since before the season began and he has communicated everything with Thad and coach P the whole time and Lovie has given his full support for him to play the process out the way Shammond and his family have wanted it to.

It's January in the midwest fella's! A weekends paid vacation for you and your family in Tallahassee to end off a long football and recruiting season, isnt such a bad thing guys!!

If the staff is supportive and unbothered by the visit because of the longevity and strength of their relationship, we shouldn't be worried either...


They already signed 3 LBs in this class so I don't understand why they are making a push for Shammond? They also have a number of talented LBs on the roster.

Interesting that Illinois is actually supportive of Cooper making a visit like this while they've supposedly taken a hard stance against other players like McCray taking potential visits. I heard that they were pretty upset about Cumby visiting Texas Tech and Cumby's dad played at Texas Tech.

At any rate, Cooper is in Florida right now for the UA All-America game so I don't understand the need to go back there on the 25th?

BTW, the rosters for the UA All-America Game have been posted. Beason and Williams are on different teams and Williams is listed as a WR/ATH. Allen Trieu said that he does not expect Williams to play QB this week.

https://usatodayhss.com/2018/2019-under-armour-all-america-game-rosters-revealed
 
#424      

Deleted member 633632

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Guest
They already signed 3 LBs in this class so I don't understand why they are making a push for Shammond? They also have a number of talented LBs on the roster.

Interesting that Illinois is actually supportive of Cooper making a visit like this while they've supposedly taken a hard stance against other players like McCray taking potential visits. I heard that they were pretty upset about Cumby visiting Texas Tech and Cumby's dad played at Texas Tech.

At any rate, Cooper is in Florida right now for the UA All-America game so I don't understand the need to go back there on the 25th?

BTW, the rosters for the UA All-America Game have been posted. Beason and Williams are on different teams and Williams is listed as a WR/ATH. Allen Trieu said that he does not expect Williams to play QB this week.

https://usatodayhss.com/2018/2019-under-armour-all-america-game-rosters-revealed

It's no secret that we like many other B1G programs have dipped into Florida's hot bed of athletes before. Thy are down and the outside perception is that we are even further down, which of course compared to them, we are. So they thought they would jump in our backyard and poach some of our recruits, kinda how Blue bloods try to poach our basketball recruits.

They tried it with Randolph, they're trying it with Shammond. Its a no lose situaiton for them. But Lovie has strong connections down there and he's not worried. FSU is a laughing stock in Florida right now. In the football recruiting world, its all fair game 😕
 
#425      

Deleted member 633632

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As far as disdain with taking other visits. Longevity and trust in the relationship has superseded those previous warnings to other recruits. Hope I worded that right lol.
 
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