Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#301      
From one perspective this sounds brilliant. But for kids without...athletic dispositions, let's say...this sounds like hell on earth. Can those kids seek their opportunities equally in music or arts programs? Because the right-brain people might actually provide more entertainment than sports do, (i.e. think of how many hours of music that young people listen to everyday vs. time watching ADS and a game), and helping them develop those skills can reap tremendous rewards for communities.
If you say the size of some of the marching bands and the fact that they travel well and do perform at halftime at all games, even road trips, you would have the answer to that. The band facilities for most of these schools are top notch. Halftime takes forever here as you have to watch a show. They get their time as well.
 
#302      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
If we’re talking college impact Randle El was pretty good. Responsible for about 11500 combined yards, 86 touchdowns.

Also returned 16 punts his senior year.

I was thinking the full sweep of what they accomplished in football. The poster that raised the question was talking about Mississippi, Jerry Rice is a tough one to top for any state.
 
#304      
Lovie: Derrick Smith will be a linebacker. Athletic guy who can play in space. DB who's gotten bigger.
https://twitter.com/JWerner247/
Better a quicker LB that makes contact, than slightly slower big DB, plus we can use the depth at LB. He's grown to his position, I think he'll be big part going forward.
 
#305      
If you say the size of some of the marching bands and the fact that they travel well and do perform at halftime at all games, even road trips, you would have the answer to that. The band facilities for most of these schools are top notch. Halftime takes forever here as you have to watch a show. They get their time as well.
That's awesome. I can aim for a game the next time I'm in Texas. Thanks for the heads up.
 
#306      
With all due respect. Sports that I enjoy or care about are the big 3. For us to be competitive we need to recruit outside just our state. Basketball if we owned our state we would be ok.
But this is football and for Illinois to be good at football we need to recruit the south and our state. Unfortunately the best football players usually are from the south not our state. Who is the best player from the state in the last 50 years from Illinois? McNabb? I love illinois football and I want it to be great again. Mike White did it with juco guys from California. When little states like Mississippi and Louisiana produce the all time greats they have had and still have that says a lot. IThere is so much more talent there it's not even close. Im fine with lovie doing all he can here in our state and excited about St Louis big time but he needs to recruit anywhere he can and for now the best majority is south of I 74 if he can only get em here.


Not 100% true. Yes football is king in the south BUT. Illinois has a very good talent pool. We just cant seem to lock our talent down. Iowa, MSU, Wisky, ND, NW, Ole Miss and recently minny and nebraska have been poaching illinois for talent for YEARS. Think of all the O lineman from illinois that ND, Wisky and iowa have taken from our state. Wisconsin has sent a few RBs to thz league from illinois. We have the talent. Illinois sits in a very underrated area between STL(which we are making inroads in now) memphis and nashville, indianapolis and chicago. These 4 cities can provide plenty of talent. And will if we start winning and making noise. I believe lovie needs to find a chicago version of corey patterson....... but i believe its slowly coming together
 
#307      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Probably Donovan McNabb, right? Simeon Rice is not far off.

Wasn't the story that Turner loved McNabb......as a safety and not as a QB. Anyone else confirm or remember hearing this?
 
#308      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
LSU DB Mannie Netherly entered the transfer portal (twitter link). Early reports are connecting him to Kentucky but this would be a great grab (if possible).
 
#309      

FT35

Naperville
Wasn't the story that Turner loved McNabb......as a safety and not as a QB. Anyone else confirm or remember hearing this?

Yes. He even visited Champaign with his dad but Tepper told him that Illinois would not be recruiting him as a QB.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/1...-the-first-nfl-qb-illini-dropped-the-ball-on/

Before he dropped the ball with Redman, Tepper made an even bigger mistake in 1993 when he failed to recognize the quarterbacking potential of a kid from Chicago’s Mt. Carmel High School by the name of Donovan McNabb.
According to a Chicago Tribune story from 2010, McNabb and his father, Sam, took an unofficial visit to Champaign, where Tepper told him that he probably would be a better fit as a receiver or defensive back because he was such a great athlete.
“Then coach Tepper asked me if I had any questions,” McNabb recalled, according to the Tribune. “I said, ‘Yes, I was just wondering if I could play quarterback?’”
Apparently, the answer was “no.” Because McNabb went to Syracuse, where he merely was named the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Year three times all while playing, yep, quarterback.
In regards to McNabb, Mt. Carmel coach Frank Lenti once told USA Today that Tepper told him, “My guy doesn’t want Donovan as a quarterback,” in reference to Landry, the offensive coordinator Tepper would later fire.
Lenti added, “I respect coach Tepper for telling me that to my face. Of course, a couple of years later they were all out of a job.”
McNabb, meanwhile, went on to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance during a decorated NFL career at, yes, quarterback.
 
#310      

FT35

Naperville
LSU DB Mannie Netherly entered the transfer portal (twitter link). Early reports are connecting him to Kentucky but this would be a great grab (if possible).

We have 85 scholarship players so we can't take anymore transfers at the moment.

We actually only have 4 scholarships left for the Class of 2020. There will obviously be more attrition but we only have 12 Seniors so I can see why the staff is so picky about adding players to this class.
 
#311      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
Not 100% true. Yes football is king in the south BUT. Illinois has a very good talent pool. We just cant seem to lock our talent down. Iowa, MSU, Wisky, ND, NW, Ole Miss and recently minny and nebraska have been poaching illinois for talent for YEARS. Think of all the O lineman from illinois that ND, Wisky and iowa have taken from our state. Wisconsin has sent a few RBs to thz league from illinois. We have the talent. Illinois sits in a very underrated area between STL(which we are making inroads in now) memphis and nashville, indianapolis and chicago. These 4 cities can provide plenty of talent. And will if we start winning and making noise. I believe lovie needs to find a chicago version of corey patterson....... but i believe its slowly coming together
EH, I'm all about going after the top talent in IL and developmental O lineman. But give me the middle of the pack Southern kid.
 
#312      
EH, I'm all about going after the top talent in IL and developmental O lineman. But give me the middle of the pack Southern kid.
Could we aim for a few top of the pack Southern kids? :)
 
#313      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
We have 85 scholarship players so we can't take anymore transfers at the moment.

We actually only have 4 scholarships left for the Class of 2020. There will obviously be more attrition but we only have 12 Seniors so I can see why the staff is so picky about adding players to this class.
Ya but 4 star recruit CB from Texas....I'd say that falls under the approval section
 
#314      

FT35

Naperville
Ya but 4 star recruit CB from Texas....I'd say that falls under the approval section

That would put us over the scholarship limit unless someone else transfers out.

Giving Tabel the scholarship yesterday indicates to me that the staff is no longer looking for transfers but I have no inside information here.
 
#318      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
The staff loves the blueshirt option....

Not sure the blueshirt option can apply to a transfer student, or maybe I just haven't seen it done before (am I misremembering something?)
 
#321      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
The current situation at cornerback has me worried (further reinforced by Robert's write-up). Next year it's

1: Hobbs - Martin (barring blow-up from Hobbs)
2: Beason - Walker (is Beason going to be completely healthy and ready-to-go?)
3: Thompson - Witherspoon (unknowns at this time, Thompson seems to been injured most of camp, Witherspoon arrived very late)

**Assuming someone from the 2020 class will move to corner. Almost wouldn't want a transfer at this position because they will be plenty of upperclassmen already in position (but would love a 4-star LSU CB that has already taken snaps regardless).
 
#322      

FT35

Naperville
My understanding of blueshirts made it very, very clear that AJ Bush was not eligible to play for us last year. Point being: I do not understand blueshirts.

AJ was a blueshirt who was counted against the Class of 2019.

This is how blueshirts are used. We were at the class limit of 25 for the Class of 2018 which is why we added Stampley and Bush as blueshirts. Caleb Griffin was also a blueshirt.

These guys were not allowed to participate in team activities until fall camp started. Bush and Stampley were here in June of last year but they worked out on their own until fall camp started.
 
#324      

FT35

Naperville
The current situation at cornerback has me worried (further reinforced by Robert's write-up). Next year it's

1: Hobbs - Martin (barring blow-up from Hobbs)
2: Beason - Walker (is Beason going to be completely healthy and ready-to-go?)
3: Thompson - Witherspoon (unknowns at this time, Thompson seems to been injured most of camp, Witherspoon arrived very late)

**Assuming someone from the 2020 class will move to corner. Almost wouldn't want a transfer at this position because they will be plenty of upperclassmen already in position (but would love a 4-star LSU CB that has already taken snaps regardless).

Safety is far more concerning to me.

We have 7 scholarship players at CB right now so that is a good number to have assuming that everyone is healthy. We lose none of them next year as long as no one transfers out or declares for the draft (Hobbs).

I've actually heard good things about Witherspoon even if he is a bit undersized right now. Wyatt is also an option if he gets healthy. Kendall Smith is practicing at CB as well although I don't think he's a realistic option.

Thompson, I don't really know about. He missed all of last year with an injury and hasn't really practiced yet, as far as I know. I tend to think he could be a FS but the injury problems are concerning.

For S, I don't even know who is backing up Adams at FS right now? I'm guessing they just slide Green over there when Adams isn't there.

SS is S. Brown, Green and K. Joseph. After that it's pretty much just walk-ons. Marchese, Boback, Judd, etc.

We lose Green after this year so I don't really understand why we aren't targeting more realistic Safeties in this class? It seems like they are focused on Antonio Johnson right now and he's not really a very realistic option right now. I'm sure other guys will emerge after the season.

Robert seems to think that Ware could move back to S if Smith is going to be an OLB for us.
 
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#325      

WiscIllini

Madison, WI
Not sure the blueshirt option can apply to a transfer student, or maybe I just haven't seen it done before (am I misremembering something?)

It's essentially someone who commits sight unseen, correct? The staff can't have visited them in person or they could not come for an OV. But unofficial visits don't count. Something like that.
 
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