The Illinois football team hasn’t snagged a single player for the class of 2018 just yet.
This class needs to be solid because to get this program to be a contender again in the Big Ten, each recruiting class needs to build on the previous one. That means I want the class of 2018 to be just as good as the last years class that ranked No. 34 in the nation.
Getting talented players into Champaign is a big task for Lovie Smith and his coaching staff. What is even a bigger task is getting playmakers to come and play for the Illini.
One of the playmakers I am talking about is Seth McGill. He is a super talented player that can play a multitude of positions on the football field.
McGill isn’t ranked among the scouting services right now, but this kid from Miami, Florida could be a diamond in the rough that Illinois jumped on early.
Right now, McGill currently has two scholarship offers, one from Illinois and the other is from Kent State. This may not seem like a lot right now but I bet by the time he finishes up his recruiting he will have nearly double-digit offers.
Some recruiting sites list McGill as a wide receiver but I usually go off Scout and they have him as an athlete. That is a spot-on description of what he is as a player. He can play more than one position and he looks at that as a strength as well.
McGill told the Writing Illini, “My biggest strength is that I am versatile. You can put me anywhere on the field and I’ll make plays.”
This is a big strength and Illinois needs that on the football field. They need playmakers that can possibly play in the slot but also can punt return or maybe burn a cornerback deep on the outside.
All of these things will make Illinois more of a threat on the offensive side of the ball and that is what Lovie is looking for in recruits.
The process also seems to be going pretty well for McGill. He is getting to know the staff a lot better, particularly Thad Ward, and he is also reconnecting with some of his former teammates, Carmoni Green and Owen Carney, that also came to Illinois from the class of 2017.
Getting familiar with the program is a big deal and having former teammates and friends on the team will help that process. It is also encouraging that McGill is getting familiar with the coaching staff as well.
Recruiting is a long process and I think McGill’s will start heating up soon. But, he doesn’t want to kick the bucket down the road too far with making a decision.
“I don’t plan on prolonging my decision,” McGill explained, “It will be before the season starts.”
The high school season starts in August so it looks like McGill will have everything wrapped up by then as far as a commitment is concerned.
Next: Recent Illini recruiting scholarship offers
Hopefully, the Illini coaching staff and players can make a big enough impact on this talented player because the team could use another versatile burner like McGill.