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Illinois Football: 5 impact freshmen year one for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 23: Head coach Lovie Smith of the University of Illinois football team looks on before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs won 5-3. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JULY 23: Head coach Lovie Smith of the University of Illinois football team looks on before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs won 5-3. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 7, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

5. Reuben Unije

Illinois had a handful of top-tier commitments in the class of 2018 and Reuben Unije landed in that mix. He is a 6-foot-5, 303-pound offensive tackle from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He is rated as a high three-star recruit who is the No. 439 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 75 player in the state of Florida.

Unije ended up committing to Illinois over other big programs like Oklahoma. He was a huge get for this Illini team and will be an impact player year one for Lovie.

In 2017, Illinois had a less than stellar offensive line, but that was because they were all so young. There was one time they had four freshmen starting. Those freshmen are now a year older and more experienced. I still think Unije comes in as a starting offensive tackle, though.

I have Larry Boyd as one of the starting offensive tackles and Unije taking over the other side of the line. He will be backed up by Vederian Lowe, who had seven starts last season. I think Unije will help take this solid Illinois offensive line to a level we haven’t seen in years.

Next: Early Illini projected depth chart for 2018

Look for Unije’s presence to not only boost the starting offensive line for the Illini but to also help boost the backups as well. Illinois finally has depth at, arguably, the most important position in the game.

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