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Illinois Football: Top 10 highest rated Illini recruits since 2010

By Rees Woodcock

26 December 2014: Illinois Fighting Illini tight end Jon Davis (3) catches the football over Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defensive back Adairius Barnes (21) during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
26 December 2014: Illinois Fighting Illini tight end Jon Davis (3) catches the football over Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defensive back Adairius Barnes (21) during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 18: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith looks at the scoreboard during game action between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Ohio State Buckeyes (8) on November 18, 2017 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Illinois 52-14. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. Paul James III – No. 391 – Class of 2013

The Illinois football team snagged Paul James III in the class of 2013. He was one of the biggest recruits that year for the Illini and new head coach Tim Beckman.

James was a 6-foot-2, 240-pound strong-side defensive end coming out of Norland High School in Miami, Florida. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 391 player in the class of 2013 and the No. 58 player in the state of Florida. This was a great get at the time for the Illini.

The enrollment of James had to be pushed back until the second semester of the 2013-2014 school year. He then played one season with the Illini in 2014. That year he only played in a total of four games for the program.

James ended up attending Copiah-Lincoln Community College the next season and excelled there. Other big-time programs took notice and he finished his final two years of college football with the Auburn Tigers. His career never ended up taking off at the college level, though. James played two years with the Tigers and had a combined eight tackles and one pass deflection.

While James was one of the top 10 highest rated Illini recruits since 2010, he never panned out for the program.

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