Illinois Football: The Importance of Micah Jones
The importance of recruiting for the Illinois football team cannot be overstated. With a new regime leading the way, expectations are higher than ever.
Holding together and patching up the class of 2016 was a tough job for Lovie Smith. A coaching change just a month after National Signing Day is never an easy transition for recruits.
Lovie also has to deal with being behind on the recruitment of the class of 2017 as well.
Many college coaches have been recruiting the players from the class of 2017 for two or three years now. Lovie has to find a way to infiltrate the recruitment of these players, and so far he has done a great job.
The first class Lovie is going to have his full signature on is the class of 2018. The development of this class will be crucial to the success of the program and this coaching staff.
There are many key players in the class of 2018, and this includes wide receiver, Micah Jones.
Jones is a 4-star recruit by all of the recruiting outlets that have their 2018 rankings already published. 247sports composite rankings have him as the 129th best player in the class of 2018 and the second best player in the state of Illinois.
But, when Jones started being recruited by the Illini, there was a different coaching staff leading the football team. This transition sometimes scares recruits away, but not with this talented wide receiver.
More from Writing Illini
- Illinois Football: 5 Illini players who need more snaps against FAU
- Illinois football vs. Florida Atlantic first half and game betting lines
- Bret Bielema has made Illinois football a nationally competitive program
- Illinois Football: Predicting how the Illini will finish the 2023 season
- Illinois Football: Illini quarterback controversy is on the horizon
Referring to the previous staff, Jones explained his relationship with the previous regime compared to the current regime.
“It was a decent relationship. I loved Coach Bellamy, but I also love the new staff. And I love Lovie,” Jones explained, “overall it has changed quite a bit.”
The coaching overhaul was a big change, but it looks like it was a smooth transition from the previous regime to the new leadership.
Lovie and the coaching staff have a lot to do with a player coming to Champaign. This coaching staff has extensive college and NFL coaching experience and that goes a long way in recruiting a talented player.
Another aspect of the recruiting process is the connection that a recruit has with the players within the program.
When Jones visited the Illini recently, they did a great job integrating him into the everyday operations. They brought him into the facilities and had him sit in on a meeting with the wide receivers.
“Houston and I actually talk about recruiting quite a bit. We have often talked about going to the same college, but we will see as it gets farther into the process.”
Having Jones sit through a meeting and meet with the current wide receivers is crucial. He enjoyed the experience and even said the guys he met were really cool.
Building that relationship with the current team is important for recruits. They have a chance to feel what it is like to be a part of the team.
But, it today’s recruiting environment it is also important to create that great rapport with recruits that visit because they talk to other recruits from other classes.
In a world with various football camps and social media, these top recruits have access to other talented players from around the country. They talk and there is that potential influence on each other to choose certain programs.
Illinois is also in the running for cornerback Houston Griffith, who is rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois for the class of 2018.
Jones explained to the Writing Illini a little more about his communication with Griffith and the class of 2017, as well.
Illinois Fighting Illini
“Houston and I actually talk about recruiting quite a bit. We have often talked about going to the same college, but we will see as it gets farther into the process,” Jones told the Writing Illini, “I also know both the wide receivers committed to Illinois for the class of 2017.”
Jones is a smart player who is weighing his options. This is the biggest decision in his young life and it sounds like he is laying everything out and having fun with the process.
With Jones being in the class of 2018, there is still time left to make a decision but all recruits have a handful of teams in mind throughout the process.
When asked about who he has in mind right now, Jones said he really likes Michigan State, Northwestern, Illinois, and Notre Dame. He also says that there is nothing set in stone right now.
The recruitment of Jones is completely fluid. He has more schools who will offer him a scholarship and more time to make a decision.
There is no question that Lovie has a big time recruit right in front of him in Jones, and getting him to commit would change the Illini and the recruitment of the state of Illinois for a long time.
Lovie has a lot of work left to do to convince Jones that Champaign is the right place for such a talented player.
Jones has thought about when he wants to make his commitment and the timetable for that announcement.
“I have thought about it and set my commitment date for the end of the summer to get it over with for the season,” Jones explained, “but I am open to change and if so will probably move it until after the season.”
So, while the recruitment of Jones isn’t coming to a close soon, we will probably know sometime after the summer or at the end of the high school football season this year.
The timeline now turns into a 3-to-6 month process for Lovie to convince Jones that Illinois is the right school for him.
Next: Illini Have Three Signed In Free Agency
This won’t be an easy thing to do considering the teams Lovie is competing against, but he has the coaching resume and the Illini have started a new, positive, era of football.
While the class of 2017 could be special, the class of 2018 is where Lovie can really put his signature on this team. And that great class would start with Micah Jones.