Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

#1      

Dan

Dan
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Dan
Welcome to the Illinois Football Recruiting Thread :illinois:


2027 Illini Football Commits

1) DB Justin Johnson (March 4th, 2026)
 
#4      
joeybcrazy13
May The Fourth Be With You GIF by Star Wars
 
#13      
SampsonRelpenk
therealmiket86 said:
Michigan is giving Lopati 3.5 million. We aren’t close to being able to compete with that.
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If the top programs are able pay that much to unproven prep recruits to sit on the bench it kinda feels like we’re regressing toward the pre-scholarship limit days when they’d horde as many prospects as possible just to keep them away from teams lower down the food chain.
 
#14      
therealmiket86
SampsonRelpenk said:
If the top programs are able pay that much to unproven prep recruits to sit on the bench it kinda feels like we’re regressing toward the pre-scholarship limit days when they’d horde as many prospects as possible just to keep them away from teams lower down the food chain.
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Obviously they aren’t paying everyone that kind of money to sit. Qb is the most important position and they are fine paying him that make to wait a couple years. The top college football rosters were are over 40-50 million. We are about half of that. Hopefully they put a salary cap in. Another issue is other schools make nil offers that they’ll never end up paying. Miami is known for it.
 
#21      
ChiefGritty
FI_890526 said:
Did not anticipate the speed at which the market would explode and pass them by.
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We pay more attention to the numbers nationally in basketball which have inflated to an eye-watering degree and I have no doubt it's even steeper on the football side.

It's all unsustainable madness of course, but you want to be where we are in hoops, riding the crest of the wave.
 
#22      
Battle89
I wrote the below post two years ago, in June 2024. Reflecting back, man did the football program exceed expectations these last two years. I am over the moon with the victories and the bowl games and the national exposure. Bret and his team deserve great accolades.

Combine that with the relative downturn in SEC football (my 'super schools' below, along with tOSU, UM, etc.) and Illinois football is way back. Now are we 'top-tier'? I don't know, every person can define that as they choose. I suppose I'd say a playoff appearance would be the definition for me, equivalent to an Elite Eight or Final Four run in basketball (technically Sweet Sixteen by the numbers, but emotionally for me a football playoff berth for Illinois would be a greater achievement than a Sweet Sixteen in basketball). So I feel we are right there near the top, but not yet top-tier.

I will further admit that the above posts regarding a lack of commits and the corresponding lack of football NIL are terrifying to me, and I know that will come off as an overreaction to some here. Maybe so. But even with Bret's excellent coaching, at some point you do indeed need the Jimmys and the Joes. I have said here before that I think we are going to miss Luke more than we realize.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I'd directionally change what I wrote two years ago. Change the magnitude of the comments, definitely. 17th to 13th? Cannon fodder? Those statements seem out-of-date at best and ludicrous at worst, in the Bret world.

But there is still not an infinite pool out there, and basketball might be a top 5 team next year (again!). ROI says give the NIL to Brad. Whether I want it or not, I think that is what's happening, and we are seeing it on both squads, with the basketball retention and the football recruiting misses.

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#25      
Illinicpa14
Battle89 said:
I wrote the below post two years ago, in June 2024. Reflecting back, man did the football program exceed expectations these last two years. I am over the moon with the victories and the bowl games and the national exposure. Bret and his team deserve great accolades.

Combine that with the relative downturn in SEC football (my 'super schools' below, along with tOSU, UM, etc.) and Illinois football is way back. Now are we 'top-tier'? I don't know, every person can define that as they choose. I suppose I'd say a playoff appearance would be the definition for me, equivalent to an Elite Eight or Final Four run in basketball (technically Sweet Sixteen by the numbers, but emotionally for me a football playoff berth for Illinois would be a greater achievement than a Sweet Sixteen in basketball). So I feel we are right there near the top, but not yet top-tier.

I will further admit that the above posts regarding a lack of commits and the corresponding lack of football NIL are terrifying to me, and I know that will come off as an overreaction to some here. Maybe so. But even with Bret's excellent coaching, at some point you do indeed need the Jimmys and the Joes. I have said here before that I think we are going to miss Luke more than we realize.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I'd directionally change what I wrote two years ago. Change the magnitude of the comments, definitely. 17th to 13th? Cannon fodder? Those statements seem out-of-date at best and ludicrous at worst, in the Bret world.

But there is still not an infinite pool out there, and basketball might be a top 5 team next year (again!). ROI says give the NIL to Brad. Whether I want it or not, I think that is what's happening, and we are seeing it on both squads, with the basketball retention and the football recruiting misses.

View attachment 50224
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I think a school like IU has shown you can get the investment in both as a non traditional football power but I don’t disagree with your overall point.

$3-4MM in basketball may get you a really good final piece to make a championship run but in terms of actual wins and achievements I’m not sure what that does in football (I.e if that gets you 1 more win; does 8-4 vs 7-5 really move the needle as a fan.
 
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