Three-star offensive lineman Ira Henry updates his recruitment
The relationship between Illinois and St. Louis Trinity Catholic runs deep, and one of the top targets is three-star offensive lineman Ira Henry.
Orange and Blue News spoke to Henry to get an update on his recruitment, and his thoughts on the recent commitment of his teammate, Rivals100 athlete Isaiah Williams.
Illinois has made Henry a priority since last summer and the Illini were one of the first Power 5 schools to offer him. The ties between Illinois and Trinity got stronger when Lovie Smith hired former Trinity head coach Cory Patterson as tight ends coach.
Henry has been on campus several times, the most recent trip coming in February for a junior day along with many other St. Louis area prospects.
Offensive line coach Luke Butkus is heavily involved in Henry's recruitment, along with Patterson and Lovie Smith. Henry said the hiring of Patterson could pay big dividends.
"I still talk a lot to Coach Butkus, Coach Cory, and Coach Lovie," Henry said. "Coach Corey going there is a big deal. A ll the kids coming up in St. Louis really like him."
The Illini are trying to establish a pipeline to Henry's school. It began when 2017 offensive lineman Larry Boyd signed and got several starts last year as a true freshman.
The buzz about Illinois possibly landing several Trinity Titans got exponentially louder when Williams committed. Henry said his teammates have talked about continuing "the Movement" at the next level.
"Yeah, we have talked about that a lot," Henry said. "We kind of all knew where (Williams) was going. I'm happy for him. It's a good fit for him. He will make an impact there."
While Illinois would undoubtedly like to get Henry on board soon, he plans to let the recruiting process runs its course. He may name a top group sometime this summer, then take official visits after his senior season.
Offers include Florida, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and others. His latest offer is from Ole Miss.
Henry has some visits on tap this spring, and he will likely also be back at Illinois before the summer.
"On April 7th I'm going to Mizzou, and on the 14th I'm going to Ole Miss," Henry said. "I'm visiting Mizzou with some of my friends, and I want to go to Ole Miss since they just offered me."