2016 linebacker holds Illini offer
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2016 linebacker Joe Bachie camped at Illinois in June. Once the Illini coaches sorted through the film and evaluated all of the linebackers who camped, Bachie got the call from the staff that he was looking for.
"They were looking at several linebackers, and I was one of them," Bachie said. "After my camp, they thought I was the best of all of them. They looked at three more the next camp, and that's when they called and offered me.'
The 6-foot-2, 2015 Bachie hales from Berea (Ohio) in the Cleveland area. His recruiter is inside linebackers coach Mike Ward.
"Coach Ward came to my school, and he came again for workout," Bachie said. "He's the one I've talked to, and he is the one that offered me."
The offer from the Illini is the first from a Big Ten school for Bachie, who also holds offers from Bowling Green, Youngstown State, and Toledo.
It's early in the process, but Bachie was happy to pull in his first major conference offer.
"It's huge," he said. "I have always wanted to play Big Ten football, and Illinois would give me that chance. Right now it's my top offer."
Other programs are beginning to show interest in Bachie, and he is camping this weekend in Columbus. Bachie admits to being a life-long Buckeyes fan, so an offer from tOSU would be a game changer in his recruitment.
"Purdue is going to keep an eye on me," Bachie said. "I've talked with Ohio State. I'm signed up for the Friday night lights camp at Ohio State on Friday. If I can go down there and do well it will be big."
Bachie plans to take in the Illini game at Ohio State on Nov 1, and he also hopes to get out to see the other teams that have offered him.
A good all-around athlete, Bachie plays fullback on offense. He projects for the MIKE position in the Illini defense. Bachie put together a solid sophomore campaign in 2013 as a varsity starter.
"I had 82 tackles and 3 interceptions," Bachie said. "I feel like I play fast, and I'm a student of the game. I always know what's happening on the field. I've watched so much football that I know the play before it happens."