Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Football: 5 biggest Illini commits from the state of Texas

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith looks on during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats on November 25, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Lovie Smith looks on during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats on November 25, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 05: Sam Mays
CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 05: Sam Mays /

3. Sam Mays #675

The No. 3 player on this list is Sam Mays. This kid has gone through a lot since joining the Orange and Blue but still sticks with them today.

Mays was a talented player coming out of high school. He was a 6-foot-3.5, 181-pound wide receiver from The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 416 player in the class of 2015 and the No. 45 wide receiver in the nation.

Mike Bellamy ended up landing Mays in the class of 2015 over some pretty talented programs. He had offers from teams like BYU, Fresno State and Houston. But, Illinois ended up securing his commitment.

Mays was an instant impact guy year one. He had a chance to play in every game as a freshman and started one of those contests. He finished that season with seven catches for 789 yards and a touchdown. The following season he played in nine games with one start. He had 13 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown that year.

Last year wasn’t great for Mays, though. He saw the field in seven games but didn’t record a catch. This had a lot to do with the quarterbacks, but his production took a hit. This made him want to transfer out of the program. He declared he was going to transfer but ended up coming back to finish out his final season with the Illini.

Mays is going to be a big part of the team this season. He is a senior and Illinois isn’t deep at wide receiver. I expect the 2018 campaign to be the best yet for this talented pass catcher.

Home/Illinois Football