Illinois announced its 25-member recruiting class Wednesday with the typical fanfare. Prolific social media updates. Highlight videos. Glowing adjectives from coaches about the next batch of Illini.
But there is nothing typical about the circumstances under which Illinois secured its class. No FBS staff recruited under the conditions that Bill Cubit and his assistants faced, ones they would just as soon never go through again.
Recruiting is, at its core, about the future, but the Illinois coaches approached the 2016 cycle immersed in the moment. They had no alternative. Cubit is working under a two-year contract, the school is still searching for an athletic director and the coach to whom six eventual signees committed, Tim Beckman, was dismissed a week before the 2015 season opener for mistreating players.
"It was way different," Cubit said.
Facing obstacles