Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#451      
AirTran
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.
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You were right. In fact, very right.

For the upcoming 2026-27 athletic year, the University of Kentucky is projected to invest heavily in its rosters, with total spending for football and men's basketball estimated to approach $47 million combined .

Projected Player Spending by Program
  • Kentucky Football (2026 Season):
    • Estimated Budget: $25 million .
    • Funding Structure: This "total roster budget" includes both direct revenue-sharing from the university and supplemental NIL funds from private sources .
    • Market Context: While Kentucky is aiming for a $25 million budget, some industry estimates suggest that $35 million or more may be required to remain nationally competitive in the current football landscape .
  • Kentucky Men's Basketball (2026-27 Season):
    • Estimated Budget: $21 million to $23 million .
    • Program Status: Reports from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Yahoo Sports indicate that Kentucky's basketball payroll was approximately $22 million during the 2025-26 season, which was considered the highest in college basketball .
    • Projected Trend: Spending is expected to remain in this range for the 2026-27 season, with several players already having "over the cap" deals in place .
 
#458      
RichAdams
Boomauer said:
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. 🤔
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Never forget that making a living based upon the decisions of 18 year old kids is the definition of insanity. I applaud all of our coaches for their efforts to work in such an environment and especially in these "wild west" times of NIL. Illinois football will continue to prosper, and who knows, we may see a transfer come in, who is an inch or two taller than Lopati, from Mississippi (It's happened before). On to the next recruitment!
 
#459      
Lakes333
Don't kid yourself. Alot of these kids have second thoughts about decomitting and then later on regret it. Especially the ones that transfer several times. Lopati may just be chasing that bag of money. He may never reach his full potential in the Michigan system. Like other posters have stated, he will probably transfer a few times. Look at Dylan Riola, the so called experts last year were comparing him to Patrick Mahomes.He was built up to be the next best thing. I am not worried about our quarterback position. Let's lock up some of our top targets.
 
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#460      
therealmiket86
Lakes333 said:
Don't kid yourself. Alot of these kids have second thoughts about decomitting and then later on regret it. Especially the ones that transfer several times. Lopati may just be chasing that bag of money. He may never reach his full potential in the Michigan system. Like other posters have stated, he will probably transfer a few times. Look at Dylan Riola, the so called experts last year were comparing him to Patrick Mahomes.He was built up to be the next best thing. I am not worried about our quarterback position. Let's lock up some of our top targets.
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I’m sure Lopati would’ve liked to be here but he was offered 3-4 times more.
 
#473      
OnlyOrange
bdutts said:
It would be refreshing if a kid just came out and said that he went to X school because they paid the most. Then it might actually make some governing body set up Pay to Play rules that make sense.
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I mean Bryce Underwood basically did say this - he was asked once about going to Michigan and gave an awkward look implying that they don't develop QBs. Then picked it because they gave the biggest bag. But I guess it wasn't *that* outright, to your point.
 
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