Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
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Are the flips for us or against us?
We will have a couple flip to us. I am sure 1 or 2 will flip from us too. Happens every year. Collier is one to watch if he gets more offers. Purdue offered Prince Green. That may be one to watch.
Top 3 teams in Big Ten recruiting rankings for 2021 Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin. Wisconsin has raised their recruiting top 15 class for 2021, Steve Wiltfong said their 2021 O line class is as good as any in the country outside of Alabama 2 high 4 stars and a 5 star. Lovie Smith needs to recruit better, no excuses to finish last in recruiting. Wisconsin has 1 5 star 6-7 4 stars in 2021 cycle avg rating above an 89 might get to 90 Illinois 0, 4 star or 5 star avg rating just above an 84 which is worse than a couple G5 schools that's a problem for Lovie Smith. Urban Meyer always said it begins with recruiting and ends with recruiting
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Deleted member 29907
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I just don't see that happening. There is no Brad Underwood vibe around recruiting and urgency to excel with the FBall team. This phase is done for me, we need to move on from 'stabilize-guy' to someone with the urgency, and coaches needed to get to first in the west.
B-ILL
- Working From Home
It begins with recruiting and ends with watching other teams' WRs & TEs run past our safeties.
Yeah you don't want to stabilize with a ceiling of 6-7. Won't convince many good players to come here
Given that we have "stabilized" at a lower level than we were at when the "stabilize guy" started, I'd say you are correct
Well, our winning percentage and attendance were much better in those days than they are now.
I agree we are not at a lower level...not sure how it could get much lower than that...but we are certainly not at the level we should be with what everyone considered a positive Head Coach-hire back then. Granted, this year will not necessarily be a true reflection of on-field results because of COVID (like all of the guys out for the PU game this week - except for the game last week at Wisconsin - that was pitiful). But everyone certainly expected - and rightfully so - that our recruiting efforts would be much more successful. We've had a few minor "wins" but we definitely have not seen the impact we all hoped for...and probably what our AD hoped for.
I can’t and won’t argue with any of what you’re saying, I just think it’s impossible to say we are worse off now than in the fall of 2015.
Boise State, Cincy , SMU and Memphis have higher rated classes than Lovie Smith this year
Safe to say that if I were a football recruit, I’d rather attend each of those programs over Illinois too.
No official visits. No ability to show off the new facilities.
Evidently you are not a much wanted football recruit
illini80
- Forgottonia
It definitely doesn’t help. However, all most of us have seen is a virtual tour and that is pretty darn impressive so it’s not like we can’t brag it up anyway. I just think selling the program after 5 years is going to get tougher if we aren’t showing growth regardless of how impressive the facilities are.
Most Power 5 facilities are impressive. I have yet to see a kid choose a school based on facilities. Once you hit the nice level, all things become equal again. The biggest issue I am hearing is the low amount of guys going pro. One of the early selling points was playing for a NFL staff. The draft results aren't matching up. Additionally from a St. Louis standpoint, there are two Under Armor All American game participants on the roster that haven't really touch the field in the two years they have been on the team. This is an issue considering the point of going to Illinois was to play now. Regardless of the truth, perception is the reality.
I have seen many NOT choose a school because of the facilities.
More generally, it's the overall quality of the coaching. You just don't see players improve under this staff, and that definitely proves out when you look at how many players under Lovie have been drafted or even got free agent looks
You can't take a below average athlete and make him into a super athlete no matter how much coaching you do. None of the guys being drafted up until this year have been Lovie recruits.
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