My frustration is tied only to the lack of salary caps. I understand the current legal obstacles but hope it happens someday. Then each school would recruit and compete with similar resources. Recruiting battles between schools would become much more interesting and strategic, entertaining in their own right. Athletes juggling comparable offers would weigh other factors more heavily.
Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
illinidarrin
- from parts unknown
Um.....
Auburn AND Kentucky??
it’s all about the $$$$$
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
He seems to be going for maximum
.Locked on Illini said it well, how about if we pay big bucks to the "best QB recruit," develop them for a year and THEN they transfer to UM. That would sure be worse, I think than the present situation. At least we are not out a bunch of money for nothing.
Not even a top 5. Yikes. My only consolation is Mizzou isn't in that list
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
True enough on the recent history. Wasn't much D1 talent since I was in school there (early to mid 90s) until recently. Tim Stratton (Purdue TE) had probably been the last until a couple years ago and graduated in '96!
The relationship we had before was insane," Lopati told ESPN in March. "They moved but they kept showing me their loyalty and all that. That really means something to me."
Lopati talking about Michigan's Whittingham and his offensive co-ordinator. Loyalty means something to him...hmm, interesting.
And Michigan will 100% recruit over him the next 4 years.
So much for growing up an Illini fan.He seems to be going for maximum
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
no friggin way he’s there that long
The program has improved a ton recently but in that stretch they’ve still only produced 2 p4 players. Glenbard west is a program that’s produced a ton of talent
Ryllini
- Lombard
I think the school in the western burbs we’ve had a hit rate with is DGN. Kyle Kleckner, Garrett Edwards, and now Vala.
Let’s see if Vala moves a needle.
I’m trying to understand the instate recruiting, but I'm coming up blank.
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
Does anyone have insight on how Kentucky is going to have this much to spend on both hoops and football? They are lining up to be the biggest spender in the country.
Well that seems suboptimal...
He was never truly loyal to us, didn’t need to be either. He just came out of high school, and with NIL now, I’d chase the biggest bag too, especially when there’s M’s involved.The relationship we had before was insane," Lopati told ESPN in March. "They moved but they kept showing me their loyalty and all that. That really means something to me."
Lopati talking about Michigan's Whittingham and his offensive co-ordinator. Loyalty means something to him...hmm, interesting.
It hits different when a guy who actually plays for us decides to leave. We don’t know this kid! if he picks Michigan or whoever over us for more money, so be it, no complaining. Either we match the money or we move on. Would love to see Bret have success and make the playoffs so we can get more money to work with.
I don't know. While I thought so at the time that we once again fumbled away momentum and failed to use '22 as a springboard, considering our response in '24 and '25 with a 10 and 9 win season and beating SEC teams back to back in bowl games, I just really don't think the 23 season has much of any bearing on what's going on now with recruiting. While you're clearly more attuned to our top-end donors complaints and worries, 3 years ago seems to me might as well be ancient history at this point. I just can't see many if any donors or recruits or even opposing coaches using '23 as something to keep our program in a negative light. Seems completely irrational that would have even the slightest bit of relevance compared to the past 2 seasons...
I agree that the B10 West in 2022 was there for the taking and we fell on our face, and that certainly was costly. But if the past 2 seasons hasn't resulted in a major perception change to the program, then I do wonder if playing in the 2022 B10 Title Game really would have been the groundbreaking thing we all thought it would be. Our performance these past 2 years should be monumentally groundbreaking, but if you're not sensing that as the perception from those we're trying to recruit and our donors, then honestly, that does give me a lot of consternation and pause, because the only thing Bret hasn't done these past 2 years is get us into the CFP, and if that's the "prove it" donors and recruits are looking for before we can get even close to financial support, that's a tough tough tough task.
It seems more logical in my eyes that the same high end donor pool is being asked to contribute by both football and basketball and they see basketball as the one closer to winning a Natty and easier to buy, and as such are putting a much higher share of their donations towards hoops, thereby causing us to simply not be able to give competitive offers to FB recruits due to the increase in market value for recruits and the increase in NIL FB war chests from other schools. That would also suck in many ways as that would mean our basketball success is the big obstacle to football recruiting success, but it seems far more rational to me that that is happening rather than recruits and donors looking at the last 2 years and saying "yeah, cool story bro, but you had a losing record 3 years ago"
This time last year we saw what the beginnings of a good recruiting class look like and this ain't it