umstance. Are you satisfied w/our current cachet WRT top 75 guys?
Not sure how anybody can be satisfied with only 2 players in the top 100 among 4 recruiting classes.
1. It's silly to include 2016. So Let's just look at the last 3 recruiting classes (2019, 2018, 2017).
2. Let's include the Top 101 since 100 and 101 are both just arbitrary #s.
3. Let's look at the recruiting rank as of the time of signing - so we wont include players like Giorgi who are clearly in the Top 100 for their class now but were not at time signing.
4. Let's use the 247 Composite Rankings.
5. Let's compare to other B10 Programs
Top 101 Per 247 Composite:
2019: Kofi Cockburn #44
2018: Ayo Dosunmu #32
2017: Mark Smith #79
2017: Trent Frazier #101 on 11/9/2016 (date of signing)
* Illinois has 4 (not 2) Top 101 Recruits in the past 3 classes.
* Illinois has 2 Top 51 Recruits in the past 2 classes.
In the 2017-2019 Recruiting Classes:
* Indiana---------had 4 Top 101 recruits (2 Top 51)
* Iowa------------had 2 Top 101 recruits (0 Top 51)
* Maryland------had 6 Top 101 recruits (2 Top 51)
* MSU------------had 6 Top 101 recruits (2 Top 51)
* Michigan-------had 3 Top 101 recruits (1 Top 51)
* Minnesota-----had 3 Top 101 recruits (1 Top 51)
* Nebraska------had 3 Top 101 recruits (2 Top 51) - if you count Cameron Mack who has NOT signed
* Northwestern-had 3 Top 101 recruits (0 Top 51)
* aOSU-----------had 6 Top 101 recruits (3 Top 51)
* Penn St--------had 1 Top 101 recruit (0 Top 51)
* Purdue---------had 2 Top 101 recruits (1 Top 51)
* Rutgers--------had 2 Top 101 recruits (1 Top 51)
* Wisconsin------had 1 Top 101 recruits (0 Top 51)
Only Maryland, MSU, and OSU had more Top 101 recruits than Illinois (and only 2 more).
Only OSU had more Top 51 recruits than Illinois (and only 1 more).
Illinois is out recruiting Wisconsin, Rutgers, Purdue, Penn St, Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa.
So to answer your question of "How can anyone be satisfied with only [4]
2 players in the top 100 among [3]
4 recruiting classes?" Because that is better than 9 of the other 13 Big 10 schools. Additionally we have players playing at a level much higher than what they were originally ranked when they signed which speaks way more about our coach/staff's ability to develop a winning program than counting the number of stars on your roster.