jmwillini
- Tolono, IL
Big shout out and thank you to Joel Goodson for always adding info on position, size, etc on the posts you share.
Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
Big shout out and thank you to Joel Goodson for always adding info on position, size, etc on the posts you share.
Joel Goodson
- 9th man conundrum
Crestwood High School / 2028 / 6’5” / 230lbs / 4.0 gpa / OLB & TE / 3 sport athlete
Cresco, IA
Joel Goodson
- 9th man conundrum
$ article, commitment watch?
I’d take this kid for the hair and the fact that he looks like he’s a junior in college already.
My guess is, while Michigan’s season may be in shambles, their pocket’s are fine and that is the greater consideration.....is Lopati recruitment dead-dead? Or is there a pulse with Michigan in shambles?
That's an Underwood recruit.
Joel Goodson
- 9th man conundrum
WR/DB/ | C/O 28 | 3.5gpa | 6’3 170 | Minooka Football
Minooka, IL
Pocketbook and probably has a good chance at starting. If they kick Whittingham to the curb who knows but would bet we get outbid again
We’re gonna get a transfer anyway so....is Lopati recruitment dead-dead? Or is there a pulse with Michigan in shambles?
At what point will we trust a QB that we recruited from high school? I know it's always win now, but if you feel decent about Clayton, can't we put that money elsewhere?We’re gonna get a transfer anyway so
For the record, I think we have nailed it on getting transfer QBs. Even Paddock was a hit.
Also, I'd be extremely cautious paying big money for an unproven recruit like Lopati, as I'm sure he will demand more than we can afford for an unproven talent and also leave shortly thereafter for a bigger school/paycheck.
We can't afford to pay him to just sit.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The risk/reward of paying top dollar for a high school QB just seems to not be there no matter what kind of program you are.
That's a different question than developing through the program and Clayton, but there's every reason to think we can find a QB who will be better than Lopati in 2027 for less money, especially because we seem to have a competitive advantage identifying and appealing to a certain type of Lunney-friendly QB.
blackdog
- Champaign
Even if they trust Clayton enough as a starter I don't think they would want to enter the season with only him and Boyd as 1/2 on the depth chart. Odds are they are not going to want to turn over the keys to a true sophomore without him seriously earning it in spring/fall camp. Luke's first year as a redshirt sophomore starter was BB's worst here after his first season.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
The question is, when will the universities figure this out?
A late model used car offers better value and reliability than a shiny new one in its first model year.
In this market, there's no way I'd be spending big money on a freshman quarterback destined for a learning year. I still long for the days of program and player development, not renting players on an annual basis.
I'm sure Bret already had a watchlist of quarterbacks for next year ready before this season started that will have hours of tape done up on each by the time the season ends. I don't know if Clayton is the guy, but he looked pretty decent for a true freshman.
Agreeing with @blackdog that it would be a bad career move to rely on two unproven guys for an entire season.
They already have a qb board and know who will be available.