I think you're confusing offering recruits early vs. landing them. Nobody expects BB to land a bunch of blue-chippers. But, they should put themselves in the best position to compete for them. This is especially true if part of your campaign is that we want to keep the best in-staters at home.
That doesn't mean that you need to be quicker than every school out there, but you certainly should vs. our direct peers. Whether it's Dupree, Taylor, Betancur, Tate, Lightfoot, etc....there's no reason Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Mizzou, etc. should get in the door with top Illinois prospects before the state school.