Illinois Football: Illini recruiting pitch to Ayodele Adeoye

Building the class of 2018 is important for the Illinois football team.

This is the class that will take the program to the next level. That is what everyone is expecting and I think this class will potentially define the coaching career of Lovie Smith.

Illinois still has some big-time recruits sitting out there ready to find a home. There are a few they are really focusing on right now and one of those players is Ayodele Adeoye.

Adeoye is a four-star recruit who is the No. 298 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 8 inside linebacker in the nation. He also has a lot of scholarship offers from big-time programs as well.

Right now, Adeoye has 23 scholarship offers from lower level division I schools to national title contending programs. It looks like his recruitment will be narrowed down to just 10 teams this Friday, though.

Adeoye announced on Twitter that he will be cutting his list of programs he will be choosing from to just 10 teams on Friday, May 12 at 5 pm CT. This list is one to keep an eye on if you are an Illini fan. I believe they will make the top 10 and I think they have a legit shot at landing this talented player.

Illinois actually brings a lot to the table when it comes to the recruitment of Adeoye. You can start with the coaching staff that has a tremendous amount of time spent in the NFL. Having a head coach like Lovie Smith who has been to a Super Bowl is a big plus. He would also have Hardy Nickerson as a defensive coordinator. He played in the NFL for 16 seasons and was a coach in the NFL as well.

If Adeoye wants to know how to get to the next level then I think Illinois is the right landing spot for him. He would be coached by a group of former NFL coaches and players if he came to Champaign.

I think location would also be a huge selling point for the Illini. Not only could Adeoye play football for a bunch of coaches who can get him to the next level, but he can also play in front of his family and friends.

Ritenour High School is only a 2 hour and 52 minute drive to Champaign. All they have to do is hit I-70 to I-57 and you are watching the Illini take the field. It is great to have the ability to play so close to home for a Big Ten program that is up and coming.

The final selling point to Adeoye is the history of defensive players in the NFL. Illinois hit a rough patch with the previous coaching regime and I wanted to address that. Those times are over, though, and now Lovie has this team heading in the right direction. Despite struggling over the last five years, Illinois still has a strong history of putting defensive players into the league.

Clayton Fejedelem and Jihad Ward both were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. Akeem Spence and Michael Buchanan were both selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. Whitney Mercilus and Tavon Wilson were both selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. I could keep going but the page would be completely filled up.

The history of sending defensive players to the NFL is there. This has to be a huge selling point for the coaches when they recruit Adeoye.

Next: Recent Illini recruiting scholarship offers to forwards

I think these three points are key in the recruitment of Adeoye. He would be coming to a team that has a staff who has been to the NFL. He would be getting to play in front of family and friends. And he would be the next great defensive player selected into the NFL. All of these things could come true if he picks the Illini.