Illinois Football still in the hunt for athlete Fa’Najae Gotay
The Illinois football team has had a good month of August so far in 2018.
Just this month, Lovie Smith and the Illini had a four-star defensive tackle commit for the class of 2018. They also had Fa’Najae Gotay cut his list down to just 12 teams and Illinois made that list. The rest of the list included Maryland, North Carolina State, Washington State, USF, Tennessee, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisville, Marshall and Southern Mississippi.
Getting a player like Gotay would help build this Illinois football team in many ways. He is rated as a two-star athlete who is the No. 1,906 player according to 247Sports and a three-star athlete who is the No. 1,458 player according to Scout in the class of 2018. Right now, Gotay is projected to be an outside linebacker, though. But, I think he has a chance to play multiple positions at the next level.
Gotay brings a lot to the table when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. The first thing that stands out to me the most is his tackling ability. He can get around on the field well and make the tackle that needs to be made. He has good form tackling as well and that will really help at Illinois.
The speed Gotay brings makes me a little worried but a good conditioning program will help change all of that. Lovie and the coaching staff knows what it takes to get to the NFL and they will set him on the right track.
I could really see Gotay playing a few different positions at Illinois. They are going to need more linebacker help by 2019 and that is when they would unleash Gotay. He will likely redshirt year one and then be a redshirt freshman the following season. He would make for a nice outside linebacker, but he would have to bulk up a little bit as well.
Another possible position is safety. Illinois is set right now but by the time Gotay is ready, the Illini will need a good starting safety. This will enable him to sit and watch how the game is played for a year or two. With the size Gotay brings to the table, this is a position I could see him playing.
Next: Illinois Football lands on Marquez Beason’s top 12
Illinois made the top 12 for this talented athlete. Gotay will, hopefully, pick the Illini so they can continue building depth for the future.