Central Illinois was unfamiliar territory for freshmen defensive tackles Verdis Brown and Calvin Avery.

Brown, being from Chicago, IL, and attending IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida, is more used to being surround by a city, not a cornfield. Avery, being from Dallas, Texas, and attending Bishop Dunne High School, was happy to finally be out of the Texas heat and can’t wait for the winter.

Both players found themselves in the middle of Illinois because of what they accomplished in high schools hundreds of miles away.

Brown landed himself a four-star rating after a dominant junior year at IMG Academy. This led to him receiving offers from some of the titans of college football – Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin – and inevitably committing to Florida State.

Coaching changes made from the Seminoles led to Brown decommitting and deciding to attend Illinois. Brown wanted to be a part of the rebuild taking place with the Illini.

“I believed in all of the coaches that were here. Their record shows for themselves, they all played in the NFL and have excellent college records,” Brown said. “I believed in them and I believed the program would be turned around soon and I wanted to be a part of something new.

“I’ve never been a part of something that’s ground-breaking or turn around a program. Always took the safer route. This time I wanted to be different, I wanted to be a part of a legacy.”

Brown instantly shot up to the No. 2 spot in the 2018 Illinois recruiting class, with Avery holding the No. 1 spot.

Avery’s strong junior year resulted to him being one of the Top 200 recruits in the nation and a four-star rating, according to Rivals. Like Brown, Avery acquired several offers from the top college football programs in the country – Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M – but chose Illinois because of his faith and in the coaching staff and their professional experience.

“Mainly coach (Andrew Hayes-) Stoker, coach (Joe) Fotu, coach (Austin) Clark, he came late towards the end of that recruitment process and coach (Lovie) Smith. He’s from Texas and he was like, ‘I won’t be alone if I’m up here,’” Avery said. “Waiting on one of my teammates, Kievan Myers, who’s supposed to be up here in a couple weeks. So, I won’t be truly out of the state by myself.

“I know them being in the NFL and having that type of experience will give me a lead on some of the stuff for when I go to the NFL and if I reach it to the NFL. I know they can bring me there.”

Seven days into the first training camp of their college career, Illinois defensive line coach Austin Clark already sees the impact Brown and Avery will have.

“There’s no question. Those guys are huge,” Clark said.

The additions of Brown and Avery may have solidified the future of the Illinois interior defensive line for the next three-to-four years. Both players are athletic, strong, big bodied tackles that each have had their moments where they showed off their talent-level.

Brown knows if he effectively uses his strength, he is practically unstoppable.

“What my advantages are my strength, and just like Avery, my size and ability to move,” Brown said. “A lot of people expect me to move and don’t expect me to go straight power, but if I go straight power, I’m pretty sure I can move you off the ball still. It’s just that and being able to move.”

Neither Avery and Brown having been receiving reps with the first-string defensive line, but they've made the most out their reps with the third and second-string groups, while catching the eyes of their coaches so far in camp.

Avery consistently gets double teamed against the run and still doesn’t budge a bit and has natural instincts for a nose guard. Brown has on numerous occasions ran over offensive linemen during 1-on-1 linemen drills.

Brown and Avery have been making improvements every day, according to Clark and Avery has made a strong impression on head coach Lovie Smith.

“He is a powerful man that uses his hands well,” Smith said. “Good run defender right now. We’ll of course need him to do more than that, but typical freshman with talent.”

One thing the coaching staff is demanding out of Brown and Avery is that they cut down on their weight and get into shape. Both players are on diets and already produced results.

Brown started his diet in the spring and said he dropped 30 pounds this offseason and Avery said he’s also lost some weight. The two developed a solid relationship because of this shared goal of theirs.

“Me and Calvin have a pretty good relationship. We’re similar people, both got to cut down and watch what we eat,” Brown said. “I tell Calvin I’ve been doing this since the spring, so I probably can give him some help with what to eat and what not to eat, stop eating at this time. We push each other because we both want to be successful.”

Whether it’s their freshmen year, or the years to come, it’s only a matter of time the keys are turned over to Avery and Brown and they become dominant interior defensive linemen.

When Clark sees them together, he can’t help but think what monsters those two are going to be in the following years and the unlimited potential they possess.

“The sky’s the limit for them.”