Assistant coaches Cory Patterson and Rod Smith kicked off the spring evaluation period on Monday with a visit to St. Louis, an area that has become a top priority for the Illinois staff.

Among the prospects visited was Trinity Catholic's Bryce Childress, a 5-foot-8, 163-pound three-star wide-receiver.

“It went well,” Childress said. “We basically just talked about the upcoming season and what my goals are and things like that.”

Childress said Patterson and Rod Smith have turned up the heat on his recruitment recently. He is pleased with this development, as it shows him that Illinois is treating him as a priority.

“They are recruiting me a lot recently,” Childress said. “One of the coaches reach out at least every other day, and they also call me quite a bit. They are definitely recruiting me a little more, and that shows me they really want me to be a part of their program.”