Illinois Football: Kievan Myers planning trip to Illinois

Nov 12, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 48-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 48-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois football team made the top 15 for Kievan Myers earlier this week.

This was some big news for the Illini fan base. Myers is a talented player who could really help Lovie Smith and Garrick McGee on the offensive line. The 15 teams that he will ultimately choose from are UCLA, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Washington, Ohio State, Arizona, Missouri, Texas Tech, Houston, Utah, West Virginia, Colorado, UCF and Illinois.

Whoever ends up snagging Myers will get a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive tackle from Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 841 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 109 player in the state of Texas.

With all the choices still left on the table, there is something special each team brings. One of the biggest selling points for the Illini is playing time. They can offer a lot of playing time because the offensive line is extremely thin.

Illinois currently has eight offensive linemen on the roster and three of those players will be graduated after the 2018 season. Those three are currently starters on the team so there will be snaps available when Myers is a redshirt freshman in 2019.

Myers is a needed player for this Illinois football team, and he expressed that is one of the reasons why Champaign is an attractive destination.

“Coach Lovie and Coach Butkus make me feel needed,” said Myers.

Every player wants to feel that they are coming into a program that needs them. Illinois has a situation where they could possibly play Myers in year one but could also potentially redshirt him as well. He would give Lovie and Butkus options on the line of scrimmage, which is something they didn’t have in their first year with the Illini.

Illinois will have to beat out the other 14 teams, though. That is a tough ask for Lovie because there are teams on that list that have won more in the past. Myers did give the Writing Illini a little preview of his upcoming visit schedule. He will actually be taking a visit to Champaign next weekend starting on June 15. This is where Lovie will have a chance to really impressive Myers.

The Illini always need more help on the offensive line and that is one of the reasons why Myers would be such a big get. There have been multiple current Illini offensive linemen who have switched positions since joining the program. This is also one of Myers’ strengths as well.

“My biggest strength is being able to move around and being a versatile player,” said Myers.

Myers has the size to be a great offensive tackle for the Illini. He will likely play that position all four years in the Orange and Blue. But, that is also one position Myers needs to work on as well.

“My weakness is playing left tackle,” said Myers, “I have to work on that more.”

There is always room for improvement with every player that is entering the college game. Left tackle is arguably the most important position on the field because they protect the right-handed quarterback on his blindside. Without a good left tackle, the quarterback will usually struggle.

Myers will improve through this upcoming high school season. He will continue that improvement with whatever team he picks out of the top 15. This kid is a talented player and that shows with the scholarship offers he has received. His commitment won’t be coming anytime soon, though. He plans on either cutting his list down again or potentially committing around Christmas. That is about a month and a half before National Signing Day in February.

Next: 5 recruits who have the Illini on top list

The future is bright for Myers. Hopefully, Lovie and Butkus can make a good enough pitch to land him and continue building the offensive line into a Big Ten powerhouse.