4-star DT Verdis Brown is taking his time

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star lineman Verdis Brown is a top target for the Illini, and he made a surprise visit to the Illinois showcase camp two weeks ago.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound athlete has now taken numerous visits to Champaign, which can mainly be attributed to his high level of comfort with the staff.

"I've been there a lot and I know the whole staff and I'm just very comfortable around Illinois,” Brown said. “It's not just one of them; I really enjoy all of the coaching staff there. And I also really like the campus too."

Brown released his top-10 nearly a month ago, and that list included Illinois, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and UCLA.

Even though he has visited several schools since then, he indicated that everything has remained the same.

"Nothing has really changed for me since then,” Brown said. “Everyone is on the same level. It's all equal. The day I favor one over the other is when I commit.”

When evaluating his options, Brown is looking for the same elements as most recruits: good relationships with the coaches, a nice campus, quality facilities, a reputable program, etc.

However, there is something else at the top of his mind as well.

"Film classes,” Brown said. “I want to go into film, so schools that can offer that at a high level are awesome."

Brown plans to make several visits over the summer, but he is just beginning to organize his schedule. Whenever those are complete, he will assess the situation.

"Right now, I'm just working to plan it all out,” Brown said. “But, when those are done, I will just evaluate and go from there. I don't have anything special planned at this point."

Brown still has no timeline for a decision.