Got to hit the portal as well.
Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
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Team rankings are a joke. Auburn has had Top 25 classes for the last 5 years and yet they have 4 straight losing seasons. Nebraska is always in the Top 25-30 yet they have made 1 bowl game in the last 5 years. Coaching and player development is the key.
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
It's all about the portal now. Have to replace some starters to keep this thing rolling.
Of course there are counter examples, and of course coaching and player development is extremely important. But talent helps. Here are the last 5 years' recruiting ranks (from 247) for the current top 10 in the CFP (2020-2024)
1. Oregon - 13, 6, 13, 9, 3
2. Texas - 9, 15, 5, 3, 6
3. Penn St. - 15, 21, 6, 14, 15
4. ND - 18, 9, 7, 12, 9
5. UGA - 1, 4, 3, 2, 1
6. OSU - 5, 2, 4, 4, 5
7. Tenn - 11, 22, 17, 10, 14
8. SMU - 69, 51, 82, 72, 107
9. Indiana - 58, 55, 25, 68, 65
10. Boise St. - 66, 67, 62, 67, 64
The top 7 teams have all been exclusively top 25 recruiting classes for the last 5 years. All have at least one top 10 season. UGA and OSU have been top 5 recruiting classes every year. Of course, teams 8-10 are very different. Indiana did have one top 25 recruiting class, but otherwise very blah. So what's the takeaway? I think having a top recruiting class makes winning a lot easier. Doesn't mean it can't be done otherwise, but clearly teams that recruit well are disproportionately represented at the top of the heap. I think being in the Big Ten or SEC, it's going to be harder to win without the talent than it would be for teams like Boise St. or SMU.
Below is our recruiting in the same time frame. It has improved in the time Bret has taken over. I would love to see us in a place where we are consistently top 40 and sneak into the top 25 on a regular basis. I don't think we're far off, just need to keep results coming on the field.
Illinois - 82, 73, 46, 38, 49
funny, we're 47 on 247, but 37 on rivals. i guess it also depends on the service (but your point stands; this success needs to show results to maintain it):
2025 Recruit Football Team Rankings
In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.
247sports.com
2025 All Teams Football Recruiting Team Rankings
2025 all-teams football recruiting team rankings by Rivals.com
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
If going by this that means only 1 player hasn't signed yet? Robert Jones III a flip from NC State.
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
He might have something set up at his High School today.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- Batavia
So happy for all of these young men to join our FamILLy. I hope they all have a healthy, productive, and fun few years playing for the orange and blue!
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
A lot of these kids are coming early too. A week or two ago it was at the same number as last year, and I’ve seen more announce they were doing so since.
My issue isn't so much our overall ranking it's that schools like Maryland #25 and Rutgers #28 are lapping us in recruiting. I believe in our staffs ability to identify talent and develop it (plus they have found some gems in the portal). But if we want to sustain success and ever compete for "championships" we have to be in the top 25-35 range in the next few recruiting cycles.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
College Football Shocker Outs Billionaire’s 47 Years-Younger Wife
Billionaire Larry Ellison’s new wife was revealed to be the missing link behind his investments in college football at the University of Michigan. Football boosters thanked Ellison, 80—the world’s fourth-richest man and founder of the Oracle cloud software firm—as a deciding monetary force in...
I believe Wall Street journal article said his wife is a Michigan Alum, thus the support.
Not certain on his relationship or lack there of with Illinois.
Larry, when we were yelling Muck Fichigan, you weren't meant to take it literally... Engineers, man, engineers.... Welp, any 20 something exuberant Illini fan on this board want to take one for the team and seduce and marry Bill Gates? Sigh....
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
There’s a lot less known on the players outside the top hundred or two vs basketball.
In other sports, all the top kids compete against each for years. They just don’t play that many games and kids at smaller programs are missed a lot more. There’s not as much aggregation of talent events as basketball.
For most football players to your point, they don’t play a ton as fresh/soph so you’re projecting how an 18 year old fills out 3 years later. Again, compare to basketball where a lot of even “pretty good” freshman contribute on tournament teams.
Football is also way more about scheme and fit in that scheme than other sports where individual talent shines through most often. You see it all the time when teams switch from 3-4 to 4-3 that certain players objectively good no longer fit a system.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- Batavia
I'm sure it's not ever been a real priority for Ellison. In the past he has put all of his fun money into his sailing programs. Who knows if he remembers his time at Illinois fondly or not. I'm not shocked that he gives football money to his trophy wife's school before his, and I would be surprised if he started giving money to Illinois now if he has withheld it up until now. But I'm sure it's worth knocking on his door and asking if he could spare some second richest man in the world change for our school. It's crazy, but for him a $5M donation would be not much more than a few dollars on most people's scale.
Makes a huge difference. I seem to recall MSU with Dantonio had class after class of 3 star guys, but some really good seasons, and a lot of guys making it to the NFL. Coaches who know their system and recruit for it can do pretty well with less than the big boys
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