Illinois among favorites for WR Gaskin
Nearly a month ago, Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic three-star wide-receiver Cadarius Gaskin made a decision to re-open his recruitment after originally pledging to the Kentucky Wildcats.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect now holds offers from Colorado State, FIU, FAU, Illinois, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, USF, and West Virginia. Although he does not intend to make a decision soon, Gaskin admitted that several schools stick out above the rest.
"I think that I'm pretty much open to all the schools that have offered,” Gaskin said. “But, I would say USF is probably at the top right now, and Pitt and Illinois are up there.”
Although Illinois struggled at times last year, Gaskin claimed that does not impact his outlook on the Illini. He was confident that the Illinois staff has the program headed in the right direction.
“There are things I still have to learn about Illinois, but I do believe they are a school on the come up,” Gaskin said.
Illinois assistant coach Thad Ward has taken a large role in Gaskin's recruitment, and his ability to connect on a personal level has paid dividends.
“Honestly, I just like that he really is a good person,” Gaskin said. “I know he wants me do well on and off the field , so he really is a big factor.”
One unique aspect of Gaskin's recruitment is his desire to also play baseball at the collegiate level. The Illinois football staff has discussed this possibility with him, and he's hoping to meet the baseball staff during a summer visit.
In addition to that, he is also hoping to get a better sense of the atmosphere on the Illinois campus.
"I'm going to try to get up there at some point this summer,” Gaskin said. “I haven't talked to the baseball coaches yet, but I will when I get up there. That is a really big factor to me. The environment of the place is also really important to me. I want to see how I feel about the campus and how I interact with the players and that kind of stuff."
Besides Illinois, Gaskin also plans to visit Pitt and FIU over the summer. He has set a timeline for his decision, but he warned that the fluidity of the recruiting process may alter things. For now, he plans to wait until national signing day.
"Right now, I want to make my decision on February 1,” Gaskin said. “But, it is possible it could happen either before or after that. I will just have to see how things go and take my time with the decision."