Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#551      

Deleted member 654622

D
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Just trolled through Collier's twitter...shesh that school has some MONSTER football players!
 
#552      
100% i think that shemar turner is a player we are going to try and push for. I think Texas and Georgia are going to be big players for us this year. Expect to see about 5-10 in-state kids and maybe 3-5 Texas, 3-5 Georgia and maybe 6-8 Florida kids. Also wouldn't be shocked to see us maybe sneak a Indiana kid as well with Rod working the Indiana area now. I also expect a Carolina kid or two as well .In-state recruiting this year is actually a lot better than last year. I think that there are about 35 D1 level in-state kids, compared to only about 18 last year. I think we will land about 5-10 of these kids.
 
#553      
100% i think that shemar turner is a player we are going to try and push for. I think Texas and Georgia are going to be big players for us this year. Expect to see about 5-10 in-state kids and maybe 3-5 Texas, 3-5 Georgia and maybe 6-8 Florida kids. Also wouldn't be shocked to see us maybe sneak a Indiana kid as well with Rod working the Indiana area now. I also expect a Carolina kid or two as well .In-state recruiting this year is actually a lot better than last year. I think that there are about 35 D1 level in-state kids, compared to only about 18 last year. I think we will land about 5-10 of these kids.

10 solid kids in state would be fantastic. Would love to see the chatter in state go up a level as bowl season rolls around.
 
#554      
10 solid kids in state would be fantastic. Would love to see the chatter in state go up a level as bowl season rolls around.
I'm not a huge guy when it comes to recruiting in state, but yes after last year i think getting 5-10 would be a great start to what needs to be a nice class. Guys to keep on eye out on would be Mclaurin, irving, shaw, davidkov, lovett, coogan, lewis, kreutz, barlev and johnson. I would hope we can land 4 or 5 of these guys. It would built a really solid class. Cameron James is another guy i really want.
 
#555      
So more good news on the recruiting front. March 1st is going to be a huge visit day. I think we are try to get a ton of 2021 and 2022 guys on campus. Barlev, shaw and Collier will all be there. We are also going to try and get some of the DFW kids there as well with dedrick smith and a couple of Georgia boys as well. Ill bet the staff tries to push for a couple commits that weekend if they can.
 
#556      
I
It feels like the relationship between the Illinois football staff (and past staffs) and Illinois high school coaches has been chilly for around a decade. I am always cautious about casting the blame on whoever (conclusion: both are at fault). But if there are questions about effort, that's inexcusable.
I have to agree. Here in Decatur we have a kid heading to Iowa to play CB or safety. He is legit. Every single football season Iowa takes players out of central Illinois and these kids help Iowa to what seems like 10 wins every year. Just in central Illinois there are a legit 5 kids that's play major college football. Our running back from last year is in the Big12, our lineman was a freshman all American. This year alone on our team we have 3 D1 players and several Fbs players. We never here from Illinois staff. Purdue and Iowa show up at our games for these kids though. This is a fact.
 
#557      
I believe we're going to miss Austin Clark a ton in recruiting. And I personally miss the coach that went to Temple, Bellamy!!! Both electric high energy young coaches.
 
#558      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
I have to agree. Here in Decatur we have a kid heading to Iowa to play CB or safety. He is legit. Every single football season Iowa takes players out of central Illinois and these kids help Iowa to what seems like 10 wins every year. Just in central Illinois there are a legit 5 kids that's play major college football. Our running back from last year is in the Big12, our lineman was a freshman all American. This year alone on our team we have 3 D1 players and several Fbs players. We never here from Illinois staff. Purdue and Iowa show up at our games for these kids though. This is a fact.

We here you. :)

Kidding aside, leaving the low-hanging fruit (in-state kids) on the vine is not going to advance the program. Hopefully, staff makes some serious inroads there starting with the 2021s.
 
#559      
I

I have to agree. Here in Decatur we have a kid heading to Iowa to play CB or safety. He is legit. Every single football season Iowa takes players out of central Illinois and these kids help Iowa to what seems like 10 wins every year. Just in central Illinois there are a legit 5 kids that's play major college football. Our running back from last year is in the Big12, our lineman was a freshman all American. This year alone on our team we have 3 D1 players and several Fbs players. We never here from Illinois staff. Purdue and Iowa show up at our games for these kids though. This is a fact.
I've talked about this before on here but its chilly both ways for some reason. Illinois must do better with central Illinois kids. But coaches also need to be better towards Illinois as well. I think hiring a coach that knows the IHSA ranks better than anyone will lead us to some more commits. Sorta like what Lovie did with CPatt in Missouri. There's a name that has been circulating for awhile and that's Derek Leonard. He's the High School coach at Rochester and has more connections than probably anyone in the state (along with 7 state titles). He's coached 3 Illini (Lunt, Turner and Zach Grant), and tons of other B10 players- Dooley-Wisc, Robinson-Purdue, Mcminn-Iowa and about 30 FCS kids. If i'm Illinois i'm giving him whatever he wants and the promise of the OC position whenever Rod leaves. That conference has had a ton of D1 guys just in the last couple of years- Broeker (Ole Miss), Kalcho (Nebraska), Helm (Tenn), Putnam (Clem), Rashad Rochell (2022), Gabe Megginson (Illini), Blake Hance (NW), Quinn Oseland (Minn). Granted these kids weren't going to come when Illinois sucked but now we need to land more of these kids and allow fewer of them to slip away.
 
#560      

aiwpfan

Springfield, Il
I've talked about this before on here but its chilly both ways for some reason. Illinois must do better with central Illinois kids. But coaches also need to be better towards Illinois as well. I think hiring a coach that knows the IHSA ranks better than anyone will lead us to some more commits. Sorta like what Lovie did with CPatt in Missouri. There's a name that has been circulating for awhile and that's Derek Leonard. He's the High School coach at Rochester and has more connections than probably anyone in the state (along with 7 state titles). He's coached 3 Illini (Lunt, Turner and Zach Grant), and tons of other B10 players- Dooley-Wisc, Robinson-Purdue, Mcminn-Iowa and about 30 FCS kids. If i'm Illinois i'm giving him whatever he wants and the promise of the OC position whenever Rod leaves. That conference has had a ton of D1 guys just in the last couple of years- Broeker (Ole Miss), Kalcho (Nebraska), Helm (Tenn), Putnam (Clem), Rashad Rochell (2022), Gabe Megginson (Illini), Blake Hance (NW), Quinn Oseland (Minn). Granted these kids weren't going to come when Illinois sucked but now we need to land more of these kids and allow fewer of them to slip away.

Rochelle is legit and will go to Illinois if they offer.
 
#561      

BillyBob1

Champaign
I've talked about this before on here but its chilly both ways for some reason. Illinois must do better with central Illinois kids. But coaches also need to be better towards Illinois as well. I think hiring a coach that knows the IHSA ranks better than anyone will lead us to some more commits. Sorta like what Lovie did with CPatt in Missouri. There's a name that has been circulating for awhile and that's Derek Leonard. He's the High School coach at Rochester and has more connections than probably anyone in the state (along with 7 state titles). He's coached 3 Illini (Lunt, Turner and Zach Grant), and tons of other B10 players- Dooley-Wisc, Robinson-Purdue, Mcminn-Iowa and about 30 FCS kids. If i'm Illinois i'm giving him whatever he wants and the promise of the OC position whenever Rod leaves. That conference has had a ton of D1 guys just in the last couple of years- Broeker (Ole Miss), Kalcho (Nebraska), Helm (Tenn), Putnam (Clem), Rashad Rochell (2022), Gabe Megginson (Illini), Blake Hance (NW), Quinn Oseland (Minn). Granted these kids weren't going to come when Illinois sucked but now we need to land more of these kids and allow fewer of them to slip away.
Turner not coached by Derek. His dad did.
 
#564      
I've talked about this before on here but its chilly both ways for some reason. Illinois must do better with central Illinois kids. But coaches also need to be better towards Illinois as well. I think hiring a coach that knows the IHSA ranks better than anyone will lead us to some more commits. Sorta like what Lovie did with CPatt in Missouri. There's a name that has been circulating for awhile and that's Derek Leonard. He's the High School coach at Rochester and has more connections than probably anyone in the state (along with 7 state titles). He's coached 3 Illini (Lunt, Turner and Zach Grant), and tons of other B10 players- Dooley-Wisc, Robinson-Purdue, Mcminn-Iowa and about 30 FCS kids. If i'm Illinois i'm giving him whatever he wants and the promise of the OC position whenever Rod leaves. That conference has had a ton of D1 guys just in the last couple of years- Broeker (Ole Miss), Kalcho (Nebraska), Helm (Tenn), Putnam (Clem), Rashad Rochell (2022), Gabe Megginson (Illini), Blake Hance (NW), Quinn Oseland (Minn). Granted these kids weren't going to come when Illinois sucked but now we need to land more of these kids and allow fewer of them to slip away.
Love this idea
 
#565      
Love this idea
There was some talk of him coming on staff when Wes Lunt announced he was coming but Leonard has a young family and didn't want to move when he didn't think the coaching situation was solid. I think he is the best offensive mind in the state- college or pro included. I think if he was offered the OC position he would come.
 
#566      
Love this idea
There was some talk of him coming on staff when Wes Lunt announced he was coming but Leonard has a young family and didn't want to move when he didn't think the coaching situation was solid. I think he is the best offensive mind in the state- college or pro included. I think if he was offered the OC position he would come.
 
#567      
Of course if he was offered the OC position he'd come!!! But they aren't going to offer the OC position to a HS coach who's never coached in the NCAA. Sure, get him a position anywhere on staff and see where it goes, much like Patterson. But absolutely no way they offer OC.
 
#568      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Of course if he was offered the OC position he'd come!!! But they aren't going to offer the OC position to a HS coach who's never coached in the NCAA. Sure, get him a position anywhere on staff and see where it goes, much like Patterson. But absolutely no way they offer OC.

Yep, that's a bridge too far.
 
#569      
What’s the word on Lovett? A trio of Irving, Jackson, and Lovett would set us up well in terms of getting an edge over the west at skill positions. We may as well catch up to Purdue(Moore and Bell), and Nebraska(Robinson, Spielman, and Washington) if we aren’t going to have the size or athletes on the lines to bang with the Iowa’s and Wisconsin’s.
 
#570      
Of course if he was offered the OC position he'd come!!! But they aren't going to offer the OC position to a HS coach who's never coached in the NCAA. Sure, get him a position anywhere on staff and see where it goes, much like Patterson. But absolutely no way they offer OC.
He was offered the QB coach position at Purdue and was interviewed for the Eastern Illinois Head Coaching job. I'm not saying they give him the OC right away, but you could if that is what it takes. I don't think he leaves his job for the wide receivers coach position. He's the most talked about HS coach in the state, he would be a slam dunk OC position.
 
#571      
What’s the word on Lovett? A trio of Irving, Jackson, and Lovett would set us up well in terms of getting an edge over the west at skill positions. We may as well catch up to Purdue(Moore and Bell), and Nebraska(Robinson, Spielman, and Washington) if we aren’t going to have the size or athletes on the lines to bang with the Iowa’s and Wisconsin’s.
It's been very quiet for Lovett. He's picking up offers left and right. He's going to be a tough get, but CPatt is leading the charge, so lets just see what he can do. I have a feeling that Macon and one of the ESL receivers will be at mizzou.
 
#572      
He was offered the QB coach position at Purdue and was interviewed for the Eastern Illinois Head Coaching job. I'm not saying they give him the OC right away, but you could if that is what it takes. I don't think he leaves his job for the wide receivers coach position. He's the most talked about HS coach in the state, he would be a slam dunk OC position.

I certainly don't see how it is any different than when Arkansas hired Malzahn as OC with no experience outside of high school. Look at how all of that has played out.
 
#573      
I certainly don't see how it is any different than when Arkansas hired Malzahn as OC with no experience outside of high school. Look at how all of that has played out.
Or the likes of chad morris, david baliff or todd graham. If you can get someone as talented as these guys who cares if they only coach HS. 1 year as a positional coach doesn't make that big of a difference to me.
 
#574      

Illinivek23

Gurnee
Seems like the type of risk that a program like ours should be willing to take. Compare to someone from the NFL coming to the college level. A great staff can balance those from both of these backgrounds.
 
#575      
Seems like the type of risk that a program like ours should be willing to take. Compare to someone from the NFL coming to the college level. A great staff can balance those from both of these backgrounds.
100% a program like ours has to take more risk. Lovie was a risk, Whitman was a risk, a lot of players we have taken have been risk. You have to be ahead of the curve.
 
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