A Look at Illinois's 2008 Recruiting

[wadc45]

Illinois Illini

Can Head Coach Ron Zook capitalize on the momentum created by last year’s recruiting class? Can Coach Zook turn recruiting success into success on the field? Will the Illini ride the recruiting momentum of last year’s class (ranked #25 by Rivals; #20 by Scout) to another stellar class? These are just a few of the questions that many fans of the Illini are asking as the Summer recruiting season heats up.

No one has ever confused Ron Zook with someone who can’t recruit. Many people partially credit him with Florida’s 2006 national championship as he was the architect of the recruiting classes that brought Florida its second national championship in school history. A tireless road warrior and genuinely likable character, Coach Zook has turned Illinois into a national recruiting force to be reckoned with and has started that by working the Chicago area tirelessly. Last year’s class alone featured 7 players from in and around the Chicago area.

To date, the Illini has secured verbals from 8 prospects for 2008, including a couple of players who have garnered 4-star rankings by Rivals and Scout. The player most Illini fans are talking about is Graham Pocic.(Lemont (IL); Scout 4*, #13 OT, Rivals 4* #31 OT), who will fill a huge gap at right tackle and could see the field sooner rather than later. Pocic (6-foot-7 316 lbs.) chose the Illini over a slew of other offers, including such national powerhouses as Michigan, Miami (FL), Florida, FSU, PSU and Wisconsin. This is just further testament that Coach Zook is as good of a recruiter as there is in college football today. Another player Coach Zook outworked Miami (FL) for is Georgia Military Academy standout Donsay Hardeman (Scout 4*). At 6-foot-2 and over 200 lbs. with sub-4.5 speed, Hardeman has the size necessary to play up at the line of scrimmage but is also fast enough to likely end up in the defensive backfield (most likely at free safety) once he gets to Champaign. And Illini fans won’t have to wait too long…Donsay will be done at GMA by January and will be on campus for Spring practices.

Other highlights for the class of 2008 include Jack Ramsey (Chicago; Rivals 4*, #21 ATH) from Simeon HS. Ramsey was on campus early and often during the recruiting process and is friends with current Illini Martez Wilson (also from Simeon), Juice Williams and Chris James. Although he plays QB in high school, most see Ramsey, with his combination of strength and speed, as a WR in the Illini offense. Joining Pocic on the OL in this class so far are Chicago’s Jeffery Allen, a 6-foot-4 330 lbs. road grader who projects as a guard at the next level and Ryan Sedlachek (Westpor (CT); 6-foot-4 292 lbs.), another interior lineman who chose Illinois to work with new OL coach Eric Wolford.

Building on the strength of a 2007 defensive line class that included all-world DE Tez Wilson, sleeper DE Steve Matas (one of the most underrated players in Ohio last year) and highly rated DTs Daryle Ballew, Josh Brent and D’Angelo McCray, the 2008 class is already off to a fine start. DE Glenn Foster (Chicago; Scout 3*, #38 DE, Rivals 3*, #17 WDE) went from a player who was cut from the football team his freshman year at Mt. Carmel to a rising standout who chose the Illini over offers from schools such as Indiana, Kansas State, Michigan State and Nebraska. Furthering the Simeon/Illinois pipeline is LB Nate Palmer (Scout 3*, #24 SLB, Rivals 3*, #46 OLB), who flew a bit under the radar after playing in only 4 games as a junior due to a broken ankle. Palmer is a beast at 6-foot-3 230 lbs. and will likely shoot up the rankings with a strong 2007 campaign. Always one to work Ohio, Coach Zook has also landed Mayfield CB Ashante Williams (5-foot-10 191 lbs.), who earned an offer after appearing on the Ginn Bus Tour and could end up anywhere in the defensive backfield.

Coach Zook will undoubtedly be working the recruiting trail furiously as the Illini are still in on several national recruits. Offensively there are two names most often mentioned by Illini fans. One is QB Jacob Charest (Matthews (NC); Scout 4*, #8 QB), a gun-slinger who reminds some of Brett Favre with his strong arm, mental toughness and will to win. Charest threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 20 TDs last year...something that has schools such as Cal, Iowa and Oregon also in hot pursuit. The other is Lamaar "Flash" Thomas (Fort Washington (MD) Friendly; Scout 4*, #23 RB, Rivals 4*, #6 ATH). Thomas, one of the fastest players in the nation with his fluid and efficient motion, has maintained a top 6 of Illinois, Ohio State, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida and UNC, and could very well come down to an Illini/Buckeyes battle. Brandon Green (Robeson HS; Scout 4*, #49 WR, Rivals 4*, #36 WR) is another Chicago prospect that Illini fans would love to land. A speedy receiver with decent size and offers from almost all the Big 10, Green tallied over 1,200 yards and 15 TDs as a sophomore, while also picking off 7 passes playing in the defensive backfield. Isaiah Pead (Columbus (OH)) is a two-way standout with one of the most impressive highlight reels this side of YouTube (if you haven't seen his film, do yourself a favor and watch it here). Some are comparing his return skills and offensive firepower to Reggie Bush at that age, although he is being looked at as a possible CB as well.

Stockpiling DL help is always advisable and something Coach Zook has always excelled at. He may just try to do that again by landing such DTs as Reggie Ellis (Washington (DC) Dunbar; Scout 4*, #17 DT), Dawawn Whitner (Cleveland (OH) Glenville), Masengo Kabongo (Fairfield (CT) Prep) and Shawntel Rowell (Cleveland (OH) Glenville). Illinois has an uphill battle for the consensus #1 player in Illinois, Chicago LB Steven Filer (Scout 5*, #4 MLB, Rivals 4*, #2 MLB), who is looking hard at both Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Illini are also still in the running for Missouri LB Will Compton (Scout 3*, #15 MLB, Rivals 4*, #13 MLB). In the defensive backfield, Coach Zook will once again work Eleanor Roosevelt HS, the home of current Illini Will Davis and Travon Bellamy and also the home of '08 recruit Okechuckwa Okoroha (Greenbelt (MD); Scout 4*, #17 S, Rivals 4*, #13 S). Cleveland Glenville also has another talented DB in Donnie Fletcher (6-foot-0 170 lbs. 4.5 40) who is sitting on an Illini offer, as well as offers from several other Big 10 schools. Another player many Illini fans are counting on an eventual commitment from is Patrick Nixon (Jacksonville (FL) Ed White; Rivals 3*), who projects as a CB and has recently visited Champaign to meet with Coach Zook and Coach Disch. Fellow Jacksonville natives D'Angelo McCray and Troy Pollard certainly will be some familiar faces should Nixon decide to head North.

Get the latest Illini recruiting info by visiting the Illini forum on Recruiting Planet:

Illinois Illini Team Discussion Forum

[LordJeffBuck]

<<<bump>>>

[GoIllini121]

Nice overview, although it looks like Filer is going to ND so you can cross him off

[Illinibat]

I don't think we've made a decision on Pead yet. I think staff is waiting to see what Flash does before going hard for Pead.

Donnie Fletcher is probably not a Plan A target at the moment, neither is Kabongo. I think we want Whitner bad but probably aren't going hard after Rowell as of now.

Other guys that were not mentioned but should be considered BIG time Plan "A" targets for Illinois now, include:

RB Mikel Leshoure
WR Supo Sanni
TE Mike Triglia
TE London Davis
OL Tyler Sands
OL David Young
WDE Whitney Mercilus
SDE Corey Liuget
SDE Brandon Harold
LB Justin Staples

Regardless of how many stars these guys have, they are all Plan "A" targets that the staff offered early and they ARE the guys this staff wants.

[wadc45]

Originally Posted by Illinibat

Regardless of how many stars these guys have, they are all Plan "A" targets that the staff offered early and they ARE the guys this staff wants.

Agree with your list...most of the names I used were the ones most frequently mentioned in the thread where I asked what prospects Illini fans would like to see the staff really go after. But that is what this thread is meant to do...spark some conversation about who the Illini lead for, who you want to see the staff pursue, etc.

[LordJeffBuck]

We always like fans to prepare blogs for their own teams.... (hint, hint)

[TheUniversityofIllinois77]

Really good job and a very good read!!!