CHAMPAIGN – Illinois football is off and running in the next recruiting cycle.
OK, so it might just be the new recruiting calendar, earlier signing days and making the transition to evaluating and recruiting kids earlier. But the Illini were woefully low on in-state commitments last season after a terribly passive start to the recruiting season.
With a new offensive coordinator hired and an assistant coach plucked from the fertile hotbed of St. Louis football, recruiting just might be looking up for the Illini under coach Lovie Smith while chasing the class of 2019.
“I just think the way all this sets up with the early signing period and seeing so many kids signing so early, like everyone else, they’re taking advantage of the window and jumping ahead,’’ said Chicago-based recruiting analyst Edgy Tim O’Halloran. “You have to do it. You’re looking at a new time frame. I’ve said it many times before. January is the new April. You’re on the road. You’re far into your evaluations and offering kids.
“You need to get some offers out there early and see early commits. The spring official visits change the game. You’ve got to evaluate earlier, get offers out there earlier and lock them up earlier.
“You need to stay in the pack of offering early or fall behind.’’
MORE: The Block I Report | 2019 Illinois offer list | Bargy recaps Illinois visit | Brock looks ahead | Hawthorne nabs B1G offer | Guedet discusses Illini offer
A year ago, the Illini were left in the dust, trailing other programs at locking down a relatively light in-state class. Illinois eventually put together a recruiting class heavy with Florida, Texas and some California influence. Behind running backs coach Thad Ward and offensive line coach Luke Butkus, the Illini didn’t waste any time in working the NCAA’s new recruiting calendar inside the state lines.
The Illini are offering the right people.
Lovie spent an afternoon with Momence defensive end Jason Bargy, a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder who looks the part. Even if there’s the lingering question about the transition from small school prep football to a power five conference program, Bargy is getting plenty of attention.
He sat with Lovie during an Illini basketball game, spending essentially the whole game together. Of course, the rest of the Big Ten has also noticed. Besides the offer from Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State and Michigan State have offered. Expect the list to explode.
“To me, he’s one of the most intriguing kids in the class,’’ Edgy said. “He’s a small-school kid, but he already looks like he’s NFL ready. He’s an absolute freak looking kid. The question is how well will that translate. If you’re basing it off the eyeball, his measurements, tools and talents, he has to get a lot of offers. You’re projecting more on him than others. There’s a big learning curve there that he’s going to have to overcome if it’s Illinois or other power five schools.’’
Bargy is just one name on the Illini’s early wish list.
“They offered pretty high profile names,’’ Edgy Tim said. “I don’t see any offers where you don’t seem to know what they’re thinking.’’
A guy like Quincy running back Jirehl Brock is what Edgy Tim calls “low hanging fruit’’ in recruiting. He’s an obvious guy to chase, but he’s also a kid who will get plenty of attention.
“He’s got size. He’s got speed,’’ Edgy said. “He’s a high three-star, possibly a four-star kid who will have multiple offers.’’
J.J. Guedet is a 6-8, 255-pounder from Washington, just outside of Peoria, who was excited to get an offer from the Illini during an in-school visit from Butkus.
“He can really move his feet, and he’s athletic,’’ Edgy said. “When he’s done, he’ll be 300-plus pounds. He’s like a lot of linemen. He was more basketball than football earlier. It’s a case of where he’s starting to make the transformation. He’s got a lot of upside.’’
Chicago De La Salle defensive end Steven Hawthorne and Edwardsville athlete Kendall Abdur-Rahman also have Illini offers. Abdur-Rahman is part of the St. Louis Metro area that’s been busy producing big-time prospects.
Illinois likely wanted more immediate influence in the area by hiring Corey Patterson, the former St. Louis Trinity Catholic coach who built a powerhouse. Now he’s seen as a conduit to the area’s best talent.
“In a lot of cases, it ends up working out pretty well,’’ Edgy said, referring to hiring a prep coach. “It’s an area in the last year or two and the next year or two that’s very strong. An extra connection there, it can’t hurt.’’
Illini offensive coordinator Rod Smith will likely get the Illini further into California.
Otherwise, Edgy said, this is just the start.
“The idea is to get the offers out there now, and finish up the (2018) class), get kids back after signing day, get them to show up on campus, and get them interested that way,’’ Edgy said. “Now let’s see how (the Illini momentum) continues once we get past signing day. Are kids consistently going down there for various things? Are they hosting the various things to get kids down there to campus? Are they staying in contact? There’s a lot behind it.’’
This time, the Illini don’t seem to be behind it. They were fast out of the gate with the next recruiting class in this new recruiting calendar.
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.
