CHAMPAIGN – Mike Epstein committed to three Illini coaches during his prep career at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Coach Lovie Smith is so happy the Illini rookie has staying power.

After turning down late interest from some of the game’s bigger names, Epstein stepped into the Illini backfield and scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner, to help the Illini rally to a 24-21 victory over Ball State. One of 12 Illini true freshmen who played in the opener, Epstein is a future star in the backfield who is intent on making things happen right now.

Miami and UCLA were among the schools trying to steal Epstein late in the recruiting process, but the 6-foot, 190-pounder never wavered.

“In my mind, I was always locked in here,’’ he said. “It was distracting, for sure. In my mind, I knew where I wanted to be. They told me I had a chance to come in here and make an impact early. Nothing has changed. I was able to get on the field early.’’

Epstein and defensive end Bobby Roundtree were two of the most impressive freshmen in the first game of the season. When the Illini host Western Kentucky Saturday night, Lovie and the Illini hope these freshmen keep growing up at a fast rate of speed.

“At the end of the game, they were stepping up,’’ Lovie said, referring to those freshmen. “They got time. More will probably get time this week.’’

With Epstein and Roundtree, the Florida pipeline is already paying off.

Among his classmates, Epstein stole the show. He scored on a 6-yard run in the second quarter, and his 1-yarder with 2 minutes 6 seconds put the Illini into the lead. While Epstein and Lovie tell the story about how this was a match made in Heaven, offensive coordinator Garrick McGee might have spent some sleepless nights when he heard other programs were targeting Epstein, a three-star recruit who missed his junior season of high school ball with a knee injury.

McGee used other commits to help keep Epstein tight in a group text message. Players kept in touch with each other, perhaps helping build a bond that kept Epstein in house.

“There was a stretch when we were worried when people were coming after him,’’ McGee said.

Epstein led the Illini with 54 yards rushing on 11 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. His 105 all-purpose yards also led the Illini.

Epstein doesn’t waste time. He’s a one-cut back who accelerates in a hurry and runs to daylight. He has a second gear that makes him a big play threat, but Epstein can lower his shoulder and finish runs. Case in point: both touchdowns came by powering into the end zone.

He also showed good instincts and natural ability catching the ball out of the backfield.

“He’s shown us he deserves the early playing time,’’ Lovie said. “He didn’t play like a freshman. He wanted the ball, whether throwing it to him out of the backfield, returning kicks and producing at the running back position. You couldn’t have a better opening day. We expect more from him. We need more production on the offensive side.’’

Said Epstein, “I told myself I don’t want nerves to hinder my performance. A looked up a little bit in the sky and saw those people in the stands. When I’m on the field, I’m just looking down. Nothing changes. It’s a 120-yard field with 11 people on each side.’’

Illini senior running back Kendrick Foster started the game but couldn’t get it moving forward.

“Kendrick is a good football player,’’ Lovie said. “When he’s not at the top of the game, maybe we look at option two or option three. We played running back by committee around here, and option two was pretty good.’’

On the other side of the ball, Roundtree, safety Bennett Williams and cornerback Tony Adams made starts. In the previous 42 years, Illinois started 12 true freshmen. The Illini started three true freshmen for the first time since 1980 and it was the first time multiple true freshmen started in the season opener since 2006 when future NFL stars Jeff Cumberland and Vontae Davis started against Eastern Illinois.

“It’s always tough when you have true freshman on the field,’’ said Illini defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson. “For the most part, the game didn’t get too big for them. They were able to settle in and make adjustments that we needed to make. As the game went along, they got better and better.’’

Roundtree finished with five tackles and a sack, and the 6-4, 245-pounder from Largo, Fla., is another Florida recruit the Illini hopes can grow into a star. He just might be a recruiting steal.

“Bobby played pretty well,’’ Nickerson said. “For a guy who is true freshman and starting, he got to the passer, got his first sack. That’s kind of what we expect out of him.’’

In the opener, Roundtree appeared to get better the more he played. He came to camp as a raw athlete who really looked the part but needed seasoning. He’s caught on quickly and is learning different moves. On the first sack of his career, Roundtree showed off speed off the edge that can make him a special player down the road. He might make some mistakes, but his natural ability allows him to often overcome them.

While avoiding a disastrous season-opening loss, the Illini never cracked. Perhaps youth had something to do with it.

John Supinie is a columnist for Orangeandbluenews.com. During the day, he’s an Audi Brand Specialist at Green Audi in Springfield. Call or text him at 217-377-1977 if you’re looking for an Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota or preowned car. Ask for the Illini deal.