Thursday is decision day for two top Illini targets
Illinois hopes to turn the corner in their recruiting efforts this week.
The needle was already pointing up after recent commitments from St. Louis products Tony Adams and Larry Boyd. Now, Lovie Smith and his staff are ready to kick it into high gear, with two of their top targets set to make their college decisions.
Illinois is in final group for Huntley (Ill.) 3-star defensive end Olalere Oladipo and 4-star wide receiver Carmoni Green from Miami (Fla.) Central. Both will announce their college choice on Thursday.
OrangeandBlueNews.com places Oladipo and Green in the top two spots on the Block I Report, our list of major Illini recruiting targets.
Illinois currently has nine commitments in class of 2017 and rank 13th in the Big Ten in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings. Adding Oladipo and Green would bump the Illini to No. 11 in the Big Ten and No. 56 nationally.
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Oladipo is one of the top in-state prospects left on the Illinois recruiting board. He will make his decision at Huntley High School on Thursday at 6pm CT.
Most believe that Illinois, Indiana, and Penn State are his final three. Should he pick up an Illinois hat on Thursday, Oladipo would be the sixth Illini commitment from the state of Illinois, already surpassing the class of 2016 when Illinois landed just three in-state prospects.
Defensive end is at the top of the list of recruiting needs for Illinois. Known as an outside pass rusher, Oladipo would help fill the void left by graduating seniors Dawuane Smoot and Carroll Phillips, as well as Auburn 5th-year transfer Gimel President. Returning defensive end Henry McGrew is solid, but they lack a dynamic pass rusher. Like most freshmen, Oladipo will need to add strength, but he should be able to step in and make an early contribution.
Tim O’Halloran, EdgyTim.com: “Just a lot of upside. I really like his overall physical tools and his game. He's a quick-twitch kind a kid and could still add quite a bit more weight, size, and strength. Oladipo is still relatively green at playing defense event so there's a growth period there but overall he could wind up being a pretty impressive player.”
Green will announce his decision via his Twitter account (@Carmoni_Green) on Thursday at noon.
Green plans to gradate high school early and enroll in his school of choice next spring. Pittsburgh is believed to be the other major contender for Green.
Adding athletes who can compete at the highest level is a priority for Illinois. Overall team speed needs a boost. Green fits the profile. Paired with commit Ricky Smalling from Chicago Brother Rice, Green would give the Illini two dynamic play-makers in the passing game.
A commitment from Green would be another feather in the cap of Illini running backs coach Thad Ward. Ward was also the lead recruiter for Adams and Boyd. Originally from Tallahassee, Fla., Ward is emerging as a star recruiter on the Illini staff. Ward is also chasing Green’s teammate at Miami Central, 4-star defensive end Owen Carney.
Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst: “Green is incredibly smooth for his size and he has the height to stretch the field. He has as sure of hands as any receiver in Florida. And while he’s not a true burner, he accelerates extremely well and runs crisp routes. The nice thing about his fit at Illinois is that Green runs the same offense in high school, so the learning curve might be smaller. Green is graduating early as well, so that will help.”
