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Illinois Football: Lovie Smith is Building Bridge to IMG Academy

By Rees Woodcock

Sep 3, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Samuel Harlib (82) and Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Joe Spencer (71) celebrate with head coach Lovie Smith after the game against the Murray State Racers at Memorial Stadium. Illinois defeated Murray State 52 to 3. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Samuel Harlib (82) and Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Joe Spencer (71) celebrate with head coach Lovie Smith after the game against the Murray State Racers at Memorial Stadium. Illinois defeated Murray State 52 to 3. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois football fans are approaching a full year of stability with the program. That is a nice feeling after hiring Lovie Smith in March of 2016 to lead this team.

Lovie has brought changes to this program from the top down. He brings a sense of leadership that we haven’t seen in a long time and an ability to recruit that so far has amazed me.

I continue to expect great things to come out of Champaign and the recent hire of Donnie Abraham as the safeties coach is another excellent move by this program.

Abraham is officially on the Illini staff and he comes from the prestigious IMG Academy down in Florida. This is a great hire, not only because he has a good football mind, but because IMG is becoming a football mecca.

IMG produces many talented football players. These high school aged athletes come from all over the country to get world class training and knowledge from the coaches at IMG.

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Illinois Fighting Illini Football /

Illinois Fighting Illini Football

Illinois snagging a coach from this program is a great way to build that pipeline between the program and IMG. This is also a great hire for the Illini because there are a few state of Illinois kids that transferred down there as well.

Both Houston Griffith and Verdis Brown packed up and went down to IMG to hone their football skills. They are both from Mt. Carmel High School up in Chicago. I thought Illinois was going to lose both of these players but it looks like maybe they are making a power move.

Griffith is a talented safety who is ranked as the No. 97 player in the class of 2018. He would be a huge upgrade to the Illinois defense if they could bring him back home. Not only do they now have a former coach of Houston’s on the team, but they also have his dad who was a standout for the football program in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Brown is another player that would help this Illini team tremendously. He is the No. 154 player in the class of 2018 and someone who would open up holes for the running backs.  His size at 6-foot-5, 295-pounds, would make for an excellent offensive tackle in the Big Ten.

The Illini are also targeting more players from IMG that didn’t necessarily transfer from the state of Illinois. Bookie Radley-Hiles is their top target at IMG. He is the No. 53 player in the class of 2018.

Radley-Hiles would be a great pickup for the Illini. He is a talented cornerback who was originally from Calabasas, California but transferred to IMG. Lovie would show some impressive reach if they could snag him.

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The pipeline to the IMG Academy is being built for Lovie.  He hired a good coach from this high school program and he might help build the bridge from Florida to Champaign.

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