Florida athlete Teja Young updates his recruitment

2018 athlete Teja Young of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Lakes had a strong junior season on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and that has paid dividends as his offer list is now in the double digits.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound prospect has yet to release an official list of favorites, but there are a few schools that stick out to him at this point.

"My offers are from Pitt, Colorado State, Toledo, Illinois, Syracuse, Georgia State, UMass, Middle Tennessee, Ohio, and East Carolina,” Young said. “I don't have a top list yet, but right now I'm liking Toledo, Colorado State, and Illinois. I will probably release a top list by end of the summer."

Besides an upcoming visit to Colorado State on Monday, Young is still in the process of figuring out his summer schedule for potential visits or camps.

He has not made a trip to Champaign yet, but he's hoping to make an appearance in July.

“I haven't visited Illinois yet, but I really want to,” Young said. “Hopefully it'll be in July, but we'll see what happens. When I make it, I'll just be looking for a place to call home. That's what I look for on all my visits."

Even though he has been unable to visit Illinois, Young still felt comfortable enough to place the Illini towards the top of his list. This, by and large, is due to a strong bond he has developed with running backs coach Thad Ward.

"I really like Illinois because of the relationship between me and Coach Ward,” Young said. “When he came down to see me a little while back, we had a real good connection. He's just a real cool guy.”

Young acknowledged he does not know much about Illinois on the academic side of things, but his knowledge on the football program has given him a positive impression.

“I know they're recruiting a lot of talent from the South and trying to take over the Big 10,” Young said. “And they have high expectations for what they want to do on the field. I want to learn about the school aspect too, but I will be able to do than on a visit."

One of Young's greatest assets is his versatility, illustrated by his ability to play quarterback, running back, cornerback, or nickel at Palm Beach Lakes.

In regards to the Illini, though, it appears the staff envisions him on the defensive side of the ball.

"They offered me as an athlete, but I think they would prefer me at cornerback," Young said. "I'm comfortable at all the positions I play, but defensive back would be my favorite."

Young hopes to make a decision early in the upcoming season, with week five being the very latest.