The class of 2018 is extremely important for Lovie Smith and the Illinois football team.
There are currently nine recruits committed for 2018 who will be the foundation of a Big Ten contending team that Lovie is building. These players are great for depth and building a program. And then there are a handful of recruits who will put the Illini over the top.
One of the players still left on the board who will help with getting the program to the next level is Calvin Avery. He is a 6-foot-1.5, 310-pound defensive tackle from Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, Texas. He is a four-star recruit who is the No. 194 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 18 defensive tackle in the nation.
A wide range of programs offered Avery a scholarship because he is an extremely talented player who will help any team in the nation. But, he has since cut his list down to 12 programs and now he is down to his top five and will be committing on August 4. The five programs he will be choosing from are Colorado, Oklahoma, TCU, USC and Illinois. It is a big deal the Illini are in the top five with these other four programs.
Most people probably think Illinois doesn’t have much of a shot at landing Avery but those people are wrong. There could a legit shot to land this top 200 player from the class of 2018. Not only did he list the Illini in his top five, but he is also from the same high school as recent Illini commit, Kievan Myers. He committed back on June 29 and also visited Illinois with Avery back on June 17 as well.
I will say it now, I am extremely impressed with how quick Avery is for his size. For a 310-pound big man on the defensive line, he is extremely quick off the ball. He can get to the ball carrier and wrap him up. He is a great tackler as well. One all-time great player he reminds me of is Warren Sapp. He was one of the greats in the NFL and I could see that level of player for Avery. He is extremely impressive.
Next: Class of 2018 recruits pros and cons
Illinois has a chance to land an all-time great player in Avery. He is a special talent who could be coached by Lovie who has coached great NFL defensive linemen in the NFL. With a great talent like Avery and a great coach like Lovie, special things can happen in Champaign.