MORE: Avery the latest Illini commit from Bishop Dunne

In what may have come as a surprise to many, Lovie Smith nabbed the highest ranked recruit of his tenure so far in four-star Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne defensive tackle Calvin Avery. The Rivals150 prospect chose Illinois over the likes of TCU, Oklahoma, Colorado, and USC.

Although Illinois has always been in the mix, they really began to intrigue Avery back in June when he and several of his teammates made a trip to Champaign to watch a summer camp. The staff was able to successfully build off that momentum and seal the deal.