I’d bet Jacas is one of those too.
Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
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word was he was leaving over it & BB reeled him back in
He’s going to get some big time offers this off season …
What would a team like Michigan give to have him this year …
Jacas had multiple $EC offers … As did PB …
oh lordie. enjoy it while it is folks...He’s going to get some big time offers this off season …
What would a team like Michigan give to have him this year …
Hopefully not enough to pull him away... possibility of that sounds pretty brutal.He’s going to get some big time offers this off season …
What would a team like Michigan give to have him this year …
What do you mean? We’d still have Donavan “2-pt conversion” Leary.
i was disappointed with how our 8-win season in 2022, especially the 7-1 start, translated to recruiting success. i would have thought we'd get more momentum than we got. i'm sure walters and his clique can be blamed for some of this.
i'll be disappointed if we can't leverage what we've accomplished so far to convince some bigger names to sign up, especially in 2026 and beyond. sick of seeing us get shut out of the top 8 players in illinois.
i'll be disappointed if we can't leverage what we've accomplished so far to convince some bigger names to sign up, especially in 2026 and beyond. sick of seeing us get shut out of the top 8 players in illinois.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The sport went professional in that period, for better or worse the two have basically nothing to do with each other.
i will say i've been very happy with our ability to retain our own star players. that's a big deal.
i'm not willing to just write off high school recruiting though. our competitors in the big ten are still landing stud HS players.
getting a commitment from nasir rankin would be such a huge statement that We Have Arrived, it would have a Juice-level impact on our perception as a destination
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
HS recruiting is just as professionalized, don't kid yourself.
pretty much
money talks & bulltihs walks
for one thing prep players are no longer reluctant to go across country if they know they can afford to fly back & forth as wanted , or pay for mom & dad to do likewise
I expect our roster to include more players from the pacific time zone
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mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
Trying to compile a list of Plan A 2026 recruits. Preps that the staff has elevated above the others, are over-leveraged by time committed to their recruitments, and players who they would take regardless of other commitments, etc.
JC Anderson (TE)
Nasir Rankin (CB? WR?)
Michael Clayton (QB)*
Casey Thomann (OT)
Zachary Washington (WR)
McHale Blade (Edge)
Mack Sutter (TE)
Davon Grant (WR?)
Tony Balanganayi (OG)
Owen Fors (OG)
Lesroy Tittle (LB)
Devyon Hill-Lomax (WR)
That's 12. I left a couple guys off the list like Jacob Alexander because the recruiting winds seem to be blowing away from Illinois (not visiting this season or heavily visiting specific programs). With this excellent run this season and hopes of finishing with 8-9 wins, what's a realistic but aggressive number to land from this list. I also understand that every name is not the same. A guy like Anderson, Rankin, or Blade would be a new highest-ranked recruit for Illinois in a very long time. I'll say the goal is to finish with six of these names, including at least one in the upper crust (Sutter, Ranking, Anderson, Blade, and Thomann). It might take two from that top quintet to reach six and make the math work. I'm interested to look at this list next July and see where things stand.
*Might be a Clayton or Bordeaux situation, my guess is the staff will wait until spring to see how they do at camp before pushing on one of them.
JC Anderson (TE)
Nasir Rankin (CB? WR?)
Michael Clayton (QB)*
Casey Thomann (OT)
Zachary Washington (WR)
McHale Blade (Edge)
Mack Sutter (TE)
Davon Grant (WR?)
Tony Balanganayi (OG)
Owen Fors (OG)
Lesroy Tittle (LB)
Devyon Hill-Lomax (WR)
That's 12. I left a couple guys off the list like Jacob Alexander because the recruiting winds seem to be blowing away from Illinois (not visiting this season or heavily visiting specific programs). With this excellent run this season and hopes of finishing with 8-9 wins, what's a realistic but aggressive number to land from this list. I also understand that every name is not the same. A guy like Anderson, Rankin, or Blade would be a new highest-ranked recruit for Illinois in a very long time. I'll say the goal is to finish with six of these names, including at least one in the upper crust (Sutter, Ranking, Anderson, Blade, and Thomann). It might take two from that top quintet to reach six and make the math work. I'm interested to look at this list next July and see where things stand.
*Might be a Clayton or Bordeaux situation, my guess is the staff will wait until spring to see how they do at camp before pushing on one of them.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
My aunt was a nun at Marian cathoiic lol
I wonder if Claude Mpouma makes the list as well. Seems to be approaching on the 'blowing up out of nowhere' recruitment
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
Talent is there but, based on the articles, seems to be visiting UM a lot and not visiting Illinois this fall. Would be a great get for Illinois to try to find a long-term tackle piece.
I’m shocked BB hasn’t been able to land any highly ranked OL
OL is one of positions that requires the most development between prep and college. Even the most highly touted kids likely need a year or two to either develop physically or technically. Brett is doing just fine getting kids with the right frame and skill. We just now hit the tear Brett and Bart's OL prep recruits should start playing. At Wisconsin the OL was a pipeline everyone got in and develop them started their JR/Sr year unless they were someone like Joe Thomas. The nozzle just started to drip on our OL pipeline just give it time.
Now if we are not a big road grading OL that constantly gets push in another 2 years it's time to find a Bart Miller replacement.
Also, highly ranked = NIL dollars, and it seems like the strategy is devote the bulk of NIL to player retention and portal needs.
To me it’s a really smart strategy given where we are at NIL wise. We can’t afford many misses on big NIL offers, and there’s just to much variance with outcomes for high school recruits to make those investments worthwhile at this point. And O Line probably presents the biggest variance. Better to go after the lesser ranked O Line recruits that have the frame you like and try and develop them.
I'm eagerly awaiting the day we pony up for the next Luke or Tommy D & pair that with a legit physical running game
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
3
️ | WR | 6’2 185 |2026| Bishop Moore Catholic, Orlando:
️ | WR | 6’2 185 |2026| Bishop Moore Catholic, Orlando:
Virtue4
Alum
Fellow Illini,
My nephew, Brendan Foley, is up for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel football player of the year award. I'd really appreciate the Board's help in bringing this home. He is definitely a kid that should get a look as at least a PWO.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...football-player-of-the-year-poll/75897379007/
My nephew, Brendan Foley, is up for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel football player of the year award. I'd really appreciate the Board's help in bringing this home. He is definitely a kid that should get a look as at least a PWO.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...football-player-of-the-year-poll/75897379007/
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
This seems like partially a "map" problem that I've mentioned before. The areas that often produced the best in-state OL recruits have historically been the least successful recruiting areas for UI.
2025 - No offensive line recruits ranked in the state's top-18! McDonough is the second-best lineman in the state. Top ranked kid is #20 from Glen Ellyn.
2024 - Marques Easley #5 - Kankakee (staff has tried but hasn't been successful). Will Nolan #7 (Arlington Heights). Lucas Austin #12 - very late bloomer (Sterling, Illinois never offered). Body McCaslin #16 (St. Charles, staff was on early but backed off)
2023 - Jagusah #1 - had no chance. Miles McVay #3 (ESL - long and spotted history here), Anthony Birsa (Joliet Catholic, who has not been Illinois friendly beyond Anderson), Paris Patterson #8 (ESL - looks like a bust), Henderson #12 (ESL - got him), Christopher Derek #15 (Glen Ellyn)
2022 - Deuce McGuire #10 (Marist), no other top-20 lineman.
Going by this list, there hasn't been any top-20 in-state offensive lineman in strong Illinois recruiting areas since Bielema took over (CPL or outside of suburb area). That's both a bad break for Bielema and fairly aligned with historical trends. It becomes a question of whether Illinois can break into the closer ring of Chicago 'burbs for recruiting or if they are going to have to over-emphasize recruitment on 1-2 in-state options and hope for out-of-state help or late bloomers. The 2026 class provides two options that help tip the scales for Illinois
Claude Mpouma #8 - Phillips Academy (CPL)
Gene Riordan #16 - Hinsdale (not a good area but seems interested)
Tony Balanganayi #17 - Palatine (some success)
Casey Thomann #18 - Olney (Central Illinois)
Owen Fors #20 - Barrington (not a good area but recruit seems genuinely interested)
Mpouma is perfectly aligned with Illinois' recruiting area, but he's originally from Cameroon and a Trieu article said he doesn't care about location, so that advantage is diminished or gone. The good Illinois start does seem to be making an impression on Riordan and Fors. I wouldn't say that getting an in-state recruit ranked in the 15-20 range is a difference maker, but could show future opportunities to go into the Chicago suburbs and winning recruiting battles that previous staffs could not.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
My cousin is the head coach at oconomowoc. Man did they get screwed with playoff seeding. Still should’ve beaten case in the first round, but winning the classic 8 and having to play a first round playoff game on the road is crazy.
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