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Illinois Football: Illini building bond with 2019 OT Nick Broeker

By Rees Woodcock

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)
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) /
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This past weekend was pretty big for the Illinois football team.

Illinois finished up their spring practice with a scrimmage on Saturday. A multitude of recruits and commits made the trip to Champaign to see the program and experience the vibes of what they are or could be coming into.

Among the players who attended was Nick Broeker. He is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive tackle from Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 831 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 14 player in the state of Illinois. Broeker shared some of his thoughts on the trip.

“My visit to Champaign this weekend was great,” said Broeker, “I was able to sit in on the offensive line meeting, get a campus tour and then watch the spring game.”

The scrimmage was good for the Illinois football team because they could show the incoming and potential recruits what the team looks like on the field. This was also the debut of new offensive coordinator Rod Smith as well. Broeker likes the idea of Smith and offensive line coach Luke Butkus potentially coaching him in the future.

“I really enjoy the coaching staff and my relationship with Coach Butkus as well as the new system Coach Rod has,” said Broeker, “it’s very similar to what my high school runs.”

Familiarity with the system that Smith runs is a great thing for Broeker. The transition from the high school level to college would be seamless because of the knowledge of the system that is being run in Champaign.

The familiarity with Illinois is another point of emphasis as well. One area the previous coaching regimes couldn’t master was keeping talented kids in the state of Illinois. This is something Butkus has been harping on recently.

“He wants to keep guys like me home, and he wants to compete at the top of the Big Ten,” said Broeker, “He wants me to represent the state of Illinois.”

There is a possibility that Broeker could represent the state of Illinois by playing in the Orange and Blue. Right now, the programs giving the most attention to Broeker on the recruiting trail are Illinois, Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Kentucky and MAC schools.

Broeker is a long way away from making a decision, though. He told the Writing Illini he hasn’t taken an official visit and is just taking everything in stride right now. This top offensive lineman just wants to hear what every program has to say before starting to move toward a decision.

Next: Projected Illini starting lineup with Andres Feliz

Illinois has made an impact on the recruitment of Broeker. They are in the race for this kid right now and hopefully, they can continue building the offensive line by landing him. Looking at who is recruiting Broeker right now, getting him to come to Champaign is not going to be an easy task.

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