Illinois has two quality commits in the 2023 recruiting class in four-star running back Kaden Feagin and three-star linebacker Antwon Hayden. Bret Bielema and his staff will now kick their recruiting efforts into high gear during the spring evaluation period, which beings Friday and ends on May 31.
The spring evaluation period allows for coaches to recruit off-campus and conduct both athletic and academic evaluations. However, schools are not allowed, by NCAA rules, to speak with recruits face-to-face. Each coaching staff is allowed 168 evaluation days among its staff and they are allowed to see a given recruit twice.
“We were going to go out on April 15, which was the first day,” Bielema said. “But it’s also Good Friday. About three-quarters of the schools are closed and a lot of schools are closed on that (following) Monday. I think a year ago, we wouldn’t have been thinking that far in advance.”
RELATED: Illini land four-star athlete Kaden Feagin | Three-star LB Anton Hayden commits to Illinois
MORE: The Block I Report | Visitor dates | Offer list
A year ago, the recruiting landscape looked much different, especially for a first-year coaching staff. Last spring, the NCAA still had measures in place to protect both coaches and players from COVID-19. That meant that college coaches were unable to leave campus to conduct recruiting visits and that most recruiting was done through Zoom video conferences.
Bielema, a constant optimist, relayed a year that the temporary recruiting rules allowed his coaching staff to focus more on the players in the building and constructing the program the way he wanted to.
But it also potentially hurt the Illini’s chances on the recruiting front because the first-year staff was forced to play catch-up with other more established programs having established relationships with 2022 prospects. Now, the Illini coaching staff no longer has to play catch-up as they prepare to leave Champaign and recruit future classes.
“I’ve already laid out a plan with Pat (Embleton),” Bielema said. “We allowed our guys to plan their week out. We’ll be out, basically, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for five straight weeks. You get 168 evaluation days and 142 of those will be used by eight assistant coaches. My coordinators will be a little bit less.
I think we’re probably more prepared. A year ago, we couldn’t because we were still under COVID rules. We didn’t really have spring recruiting. They weren’t allowed to go out in April and May. It was a different time. We were Zooming quite a bit. By far, just even the outreach in our state, to have 10 coaches in the state hitting every school. We definitely have an awareness in the state better than ever before.”
The in-state recruiting swing has been a massive change in Bielema’s first two years compared to previous head coach Lovie Smith. In Bielema’s first full recruiting class, he landed 11 players from Illinois. By comparison, in any of Smith’s four full classes, the most in-state players he ever landed was nine in the 2017 class. Bielema’s two commits in the 2023 class are also both from Illinois.
Despite the changes in rules, Illinois appears to be following a similar recruiting plan in the 2023 class as they did in the 2022 class. Illinois pushed for a few commits early in the spring and then hopes to add a wave of commits in the early summer months after official visits take place.
The Illini landed several key targets last year with this strategy including Eian Pugh, Jordan Anderson, Malachi Hood, Joey Okla, Clayton Leonard and Hank Beatty.
This summer, the Illini already have official visits locked in place with Pat Farrell (June 3), Roderick Pierce (June 3), Brandon Henderson (June 3), Fredrick Moore (June 3), Zachary Aaland (June 3), Jaheim Clarke (June 17) and Dante Barone (June 17).
“I think we have a lot better set up of what we’re going to do: offers that are out there offers that we’ve confirmed that kids a visiting already in June,” Bielema said. “A year ago at this time, we didn’t have any concept. We’ve already got 18 or 19 official visits set already.”
While the 2023 Illini class does already feature a headliner in Feagin, Illinois is one of just four Big Ten programs with two or fewer commitments. So, the evaluation period and the early summer months could provide a time when the Illini decide they are ready to take more targets. Illinois currently has the 11th ranked class in the conference ahead of only Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin.
“I think you always want good players to say yes whenever they can,” Bielema said. “We got a couple of in-state guys to say yes who have been huge for us and need to continue to emphasize that. I’m not slow-rolling, but I’m also not in a hurry. If we see one we like and we want to make a full-go rodeo and go, I’m all for it. I’m not in any hurry.”
