New Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith reached out to 3-star quarterback Brock Purdy and extended an offer, tapping into his contacts in Arizona.

A prolific passer last season at Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona , Purdy was the Gatorade Player of the Year in his state.

Purdy's recruitment has blown up in recent months. He talked about the new offer from the Illini and the other schools on his list in this update from Orange and Blue News.