Slaughter on the road to recovery
Belleville (Ill.) Althoff three-star offensive lineman and 2018 Illini signee Jordyn Slaughter was in Champaign over the weekend to watch the Illinois spring game.
Saturday was Slaughter's first chance to watch Rod Smith's new offense in full swing, and he was encouraged by what he saw.
"I liked the new offense," Slaughter said. "It looks very similar to the offense I ran in high school, which focused on getting a lot of plays and keeping the defense on edge. I can definitely see myself fitting into the offense because I’ve been around it so long."
After the conclusion of his senior season, Slaughter discovered some issues in his left rotator cuff and labrum. He had surgery in early February to repair the damages, and he is now in physical therapy to get his mobility and strength back.
Slaughter hopes to be fully recovered by early June, and he views this difficult time as just a minor setback in the long-run.
"I don’t think this is something that is going to have a huge impact on me, and I think I’ll be fully ready to go by next season," Slaughter said. "Getting healthy is my main priority right now, and after that I’m going to focus on getting all my strength back."
As he anxiously awaits his time in Champaign, Slaughter has noticed the recent success on the recruiting trail for the 2019 class, including commitments from Rivals100 athletes Isaiah Williams and Marquez Beason.
This success has pleased Slaughter, but he does not find himself surprised.
“It’s stacking up to be a great class already, and I’m excited to see who else joins,” Slaughter said. “I’m not shocked at all with the new coaches and how they interact with the guys. I knew we would pick up some real dudes with the staff we have. It was just a matter of time.”
As promising as the 2019 class looks for the Illini, Slaughter doesn’t want people to forget about the incoming class, either.
“I truly feel like we have a special group of people,” Slaughter said. “They are guys who want to work and change this program around, and I think we have a good base in place to make that happen moving forward.”
Slaughter is very anxious to get on campus this upcoming fall, and he has already set a few short and long term goals.
“My hopes for next year are to potentially fight for a starting spot,” Slaughter said. “I am also hoping the team can make a bowl game next year and get some real momentum going. But overall, I am just hoping to get a great educational experience and better myself as a football player these next four years.”