Recruiting roundup: Potential flips, re-ranking the 2023 class

The Illinois 2023 recruiting class currently checks in at No. 46 in the Rivals.com team rankings. It ain't over 'till it's over, though, and there's still time parlay a winning season into a solid signing class.

To get there, Illinois may need to flip some prospects who are currently committed elsewhere. Orange and Blue News breaks down players that we think Illinois should continue to kick the tires on leading up to National Signing Day.

We also re-rank the Illini commits after three new prospects joined the 2023 recruiting class.

There was a time when Illinois was the strong favorite to land East. St. Louis offensive lineman Brandon Henderson. He took multiple visits to Illinois and a commitment seemed imminent. Then, things seemed to slow down and Henderson ended up committing to Iowa State in early July.

Illinois has continued to keep in contact with Henderson, though, and offensive line coach Bart Miller was in East St. Louis to watch the Flyers during the Illini bye week. Illinois now has some projected roster losses due to NFL Draft early entries. With the additional scholarships available, Henderson could once again become a priority.

So far, the abrupt firing of Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst hasn't had a major impact on the Badgers' recruiting class. That could all change if current interim coach Jim Leonhard isn't hired on a permanent basis.

Leonhard served as the defensive coordinator under Chryst and his success on that side of the ball was a major factor in landing Brother Rice defensive lineman Roderick Pierce. Pierce chose Wisconsin over Power-5 offers from Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Purdue, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt.

If Pierce does flip, Illinois would be in dog fight for his services. Michigan has reportedly jumped into the mix with an offer. Other new offers are from Michigan State and Auburn. The Illini did add three-star defensive lineman Alex Bray, which may five an indication of where they stand with any potential DL flips.

Michigan is obviously having another great season and there haven't been significant rumblings about Frederick Moore backing out of his commitment. Still, the four-star wide receiver from St. Louis did reportedly take a stealth visit for the Illinois game against Iowa.

Illinois has continued to recruit Moore and they have considerably more to sell now after the 6-1 start. Wide receiver is a major need for the Illini. The other top target is Chicago Simeon four-star WR Malik Elzey, who just backed out of a commitment to Cincinnati.