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Illinois Football: Top 5 recruiting targets for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on October 21, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Fighting Illini 24-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on October 21, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Fighting Illini 24-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 29: Illinois fans celebrate during a Big Ten Conference football game between the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on October 29, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. Minnesota won, 40-17. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – OCTOBER 29: Illinois fans celebrate during a Big Ten Conference football game between the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on October 29, 2016, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. Minnesota won, 40-17. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Verdis Brown

Lovie Smith and the Illinois coaching staff focused on a few areas specifically during the 2018 recruiting process. One area was the front lines. They wanted to build up the defensive and offensive lines to a point where they can push around the opposing teams.

One of the biggest targets left for the Illini would help in that process. That target would be Verdis Brown.

The recruitment of Brown has been interesting. Illinois was in the running for him back in early-to-mid 2017 but he decided to commit to Florida State on July 14. This sort of ended his recruitment, but he still decided to take an official visit to Illinois on October 28. On November 29, Brown decided to decommit from Florida State after their head coach bolted. He now reopened his recruitment and has been on two official visits since to Minnesota and Missouri.

Brown would be an absolutely sensational get for the Illini. He is a 6-foot-3, 294-pound offensive lineman from Chicago, Illinois. He ended up transferring down to IMG Academy in Florida to finish out his high school career, though. 247Sports has Brown listed as a four-star recruit who is the No. 324 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 6 offensive center in the nation. But, Rivals has Brown as the No. 199 player in the nation.

I think Illinois is leading for Brown’s recruitment right now. They have stuck with him throughout the entire process, and he will end his recruitment on Friday at noon central time.

I would love to have Brown come aboard. He is a great offensive lineman and he would pair nicely with a former teammate at IMG, Rebuen Unije. They both were offensive linemen for the same team down in Florida and they would both start for the Illini year one.

Illinois would have an amazing offensive line with the addition of Brown. Being able to protect the quarterback and helping open holes for the running back is something I haven’t seen too often in Champaign. Things are changing for this program.

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