Writing Illini
Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 11
Next
Illinois football
CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 29: Illinois Fighting Illini fans are seen in the tailgating area before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

6. Dondi Kirby – No. 308 – Class of 2011

The No. 6 player on the list of the top 10 highest rated Illini recruits since 2010 goes to Dondi Kirby. This was a player that had so much potential, but things didn’t go the way Illini fans had hoped.

Kirby was a 6-foot-3, 190-pound cornerback from Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 308 player in the class of 2011 and the No. 10 player in the state of Pennsylvania.

Illinois ended up getting Kirby to sign on over programs like Pittsburgh and Iowa. This was a solid get for Ron Zook. He needed more talent coming in as the pool started to dry up toward the end of his run with the Illini. Kirby was supposed to be one of those players to get the program going again.

Kirby never enrolled with the Illini, though. He spent the 2012 season at ASA Institute in Brooklyn, New York. That is a junior college and Kirby actually played well there. This got the attention of the Temple Owls. Kirby ended up transferring to Temple but only played one season with the Owls recording three tackles.

The Illini never had a chance to see Kirby in the Orange and Blue. This kid had a high rating but never ended up being what the team expected.

Home/Illinois Football