Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
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TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
We were his only high-major offer according to yahoo. Regardless, welcome Drake!
Great to see any commit, but especially on D. Welcome, Drake
Soxfreak64
- Bloomington
Happy with this pickup. Staff has been courting him a long time. Athletic in-state kid. Good PR boost.
Sorry in advance for ticking some of you off but you know I am a true support of the football team if you been here for a while. Drake his a great get because he is a good in state kid and helps staunch the bleeding. He is however not a great athlete or defender particularly safety. Best position on d is star which is not his best position and definitely at this moment. Hopefully he can be coached up and stretched out.
First posted eval of the season will be Mr. Spears. As defender is not instinctive and does not read the pass well on d. He is best closest to the line where his physical attributes are best used. He is a big hitter, with vvg speed, strength, and power. He vvg-vg quickness and burst which for a power 5 conference team is a shade under minimum. He is a vv physical grind it out tough guy. For me he did not grade out as a 3 star defender but got a 5.4 2* rating as a star.
His best position his as a power back think Donnovon Young lite. VVg-ex power able to break tackle and has vvg speed and good enough hands to catch pass in in the flat so a third down back he rates a 5.5 and 3* there so over all for me he gets a 5.45 just under a 3 *.
For those that have not read my post on kids before I usually abbreviate the hell out it so as not to time out.
His best position his as a power back think Donnovon Young lite. VVg-ex power able to break tackle and has vvg speed and good enough hands to catch pass in in the flat so a third down back he rates a 5.5 and 3* there so over all for me he gets a 5.45 just under a 3 *.
For those that have not read my post on kids before I usually abbreviate the hell out it so as not to time out.
MY abbreviation pretty simple but when used in combo might confuse. They are as follow ex- excellent, vvg, very very good, vg very good anything in strictly the vg range is not cutting it for a power 5 school. They are usd in combo when splitting hairs a little so you will see vvg-ex and the first of the combo is more where I lean.
Further there is thing just vv for very very as long where ever I decide to abbreviate as it is hard for me to take time outs to make notes and brain does not retain so well any more and I am required to get it down pretty much when I am convinced of what I am seeing.
Ask if I am confusing you on something.
Now up to about a 100 videos graded on the plus 300 offers we have wildly papered the western hemisphere with this year. BY the way I am guessing we roughly 75 or so more offers presently then the same time the last 3 or 4 years. It's nuts.
Further there is thing just vv for very very as long where ever I decide to abbreviate as it is hard for me to take time outs to make notes and brain does not retain so well any more and I am required to get it down pretty much when I am convinced of what I am seeing.
Ask if I am confusing you on something.
Now up to about a 100 videos graded on the plus 300 offers we have wildly papered the western hemisphere with this year. BY the way I am guessing we roughly 75 or so more offers presently then the same time the last 3 or 4 years. It's nuts.
it was only a matter of time for Drake to commit...nice instate addition:congrats:
I expect him to be a solid contributor a couple of years from now, once he focuses on 1 position
I expect him to be a solid contributor a couple of years from now, once he focuses on 1 position
Welcome to the Illini! Glad to have you on the team!
Chilliniwek
- Chicagoland
Regardless of Calibears' eval, which I respect, I think this is a great step for the program.
Hopefully it shows other in-state recruits that there are still a lot of good reasons to commit here, regardless of what's going on right now with the situation.
Spears must be a smart kid. He obviously recognizes that, short of TB being fired before he signs his LOI and possibly has it pulled by a new coach, he just signed up for a great free education and, if he works hard, a real chance at playing time, no matter where...Good luck to him. I hope he can find his niche and be a productive member of the team.
Hopefully it shows other in-state recruits that there are still a lot of good reasons to commit here, regardless of what's going on right now with the situation.
Spears must be a smart kid. He obviously recognizes that, short of TB being fired before he signs his LOI and possibly has it pulled by a new coach, he just signed up for a great free education and, if he works hard, a real chance at playing time, no matter where...Good luck to him. I hope he can find his niche and be a productive member of the team.
chiefini
- Rockford, Illinois
#Illini pick up a commitment from 3-star safety Drake Spears
https://twitter.com/IllinoisRivals/status/609462045059100672
Officially committed to the University of Illinois! Go Fighting Illini!! #Blessed
https://twitter.com/Drake_Spears20/status/609464684240986113
Welcome to the Illini family, Drake! Look forward to seeing you in the Orange and Blue
Officially committed to the University of Illinois! Go Fighting Illini!! #Blessed
https://twitter.com/Drake_Spears20/status/609464684240986113
Just curious - does anyone know what the rest of the sign above the backdrop says?
“Sacrificing individual gain for the team’s greater good is the price of admission members must pay, and keep paying… to be on the team.”
I actually I agree with you on the off the field views.
One thing to remember for all hs and even jc recruits the are still rough unpolished and not completely psychically developed kids. To steal from nfl draft analyst if Drake just trusts his eyes he can make a big jump without changing anything psychically there is a beat delay in making the play he does on offense if trusts his eyes on d he goes to a mid 3 star.
I like it. Thanks!
IlliniFan85
- Colorado Springs, CO
So... is this commitment from Spears helping with any other recruits?
PastorJ
P
Guest
Any other likely folks to pull the trigger soon?
Just got word that Royce Newman from Nashville was offered by Mizzou and accepted. Tough one to lose.
Just curious as to why you think this is such a big slight that Illinois didn't offer him? He seems like a big kid from a really small school.
But at the same time, he gets (and accepts) a much better offer to Missouri.
He's from a small school in Illinois. These are the guys that this program cannot pass on especially if he is offered by an SEC program. If he's good enough for Mizzou, Illinois should be welcoming him with open arms.
one would normally think so, I will give you that.
there may be more to the story, however
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