mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
Starting to see some information trickle out on top priorities for this earlier phase of 2024, especially for top recruits. Werner is starting to write articles on recruits the staff is prioritizing:
Ricky Knight III - DB from Florida (the staff's bread and butter combo)
*Ranked 434th by 247
Thomas Heiberger - LB from South Dakota
*Ranked 605th by 247
Just a couple examples (Dan's comments with tweets about players making return visits are also good indicators). Also, more offers going out from the staff this year, especially out-of-state. Whether that is an outcome of lack of traction within the state, less interest in this year's in-state talent, or other factor, it's a noticeable shift. I'm still assuming the staff will sign a handful of in-state recruits but the top, "plant your flag" battles will be out-of-state. Here's hoping the 2022 success and defensive excellence can make their mark on these more heralded recruits. You can see from the offers of the two guys above, it's a great sign that Illinois is being seriously considered when they already have offers in hand from Washington, Florida State, Wisconsin, etc., now you gotta sign 5-6 of these recruits to make a step forward.
Ricky Knight III - DB from Florida (the staff's bread and butter combo)
*Ranked 434th by 247
Thomas Heiberger - LB from South Dakota
*Ranked 605th by 247
Just a couple examples (Dan's comments with tweets about players making return visits are also good indicators). Also, more offers going out from the staff this year, especially out-of-state. Whether that is an outcome of lack of traction within the state, less interest in this year's in-state talent, or other factor, it's a noticeable shift. I'm still assuming the staff will sign a handful of in-state recruits but the top, "plant your flag" battles will be out-of-state. Here's hoping the 2022 success and defensive excellence can make their mark on these more heralded recruits. You can see from the offers of the two guys above, it's a great sign that Illinois is being seriously considered when they already have offers in hand from Washington, Florida State, Wisconsin, etc., now you gotta sign 5-6 of these recruits to make a step forward.