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Illinois Football: 5 recruits who have the Illini on top list

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A view of the Big Ten logo on an end zone pylon prior to the game of the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A view of the Big Ten logo on an end zone pylon prior to the game of the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Championship college football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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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 /

Trevor Trout (Top 15)

Like previously mentioned with Perkins, the Illinois football team has a history of developing defensive linemen and sending them to the NFL. This is a big recruiting pitch to recruits and an area the Illini should be focusing on.

Pitching this to a player like Trevor Trout would help in the Illini’s case to land him. He is a 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle from Chaminade High School in Saint Louis, Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 157 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 5 player in the state of Missouri.

Trout only recently cut his list down to his top 15 teams he will be choosing from. He released this list on May 22 and the Illini made the cut. The 15 teams on this list were Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, TCU, Miami (FL), Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC and Illinois.

Illinois has to beat out some amazing programs to win Trout’s commitment. The fact the Illini are in the top 15 makes me happy. They can now try to convince him that Champaign is the place to be, and he can go to the NFL via the Illinois route.

The NFL pitch can be sprinkled into the fact that Lovie and the coaching staff has a ton of NFL experience coaching and playing. This has to be their main pitch to Trout. They know what it takes to not only get to the NFL but to succeed there as well. Lovie went to the Super Bowl and Nickerson played over a decade in the league.

Illinois has made the top list from some talented defensive players. Hopefully, they can land a few players like Trout for 2018.

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