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Illinois Football: Kyren Williams is what the Illini need in the backfield

By Rees Woodcock

IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini before the match-up against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 7, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini before the match-up against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 7, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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The Illinois football team missed out on one of the top running backs in the nation on Tuesday.

Jirehl Brock cut his list down and didn’t include the Illini. This came as a disappointment to many but was expected based on the recruiting attention he was getting from other programs. Brock is a four-star running back who is ranked as the No. 207 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 11 running back in the nation.

With the loss of Brock, Illinois isn’t left with many options for the class of 2019 at running back. The main focus right now is Kyren Williams. He has been a focus for the Illini for quite some time. Williams is a 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back from St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 342 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 20 running back in the nation.

Williams cut down his list recently too, but he included Illinois along with Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State and Stanford. The fact Williams has visited Champaign multiple times gives me hope to land this kid. But, 247Sports thinks Notre Dame is the leader for his commitment right now.

Overall, losing Brock hurts slightly because he was a top running back from the state of Illinois. But, the Illini have their eyes set on a bigger prize. Williams is someone who can help the team in the ways they need him to help. Lovie Smith seems to want all-purpose running backs and Williams fits that bill.

Last season, Williams did it all for his St. John Vianney team. He rushed for 922 yards on 102 attempts and managed to get into the end zone 22 times on the ground. In addition to his great rushing performances, he also caught 51 passes for 774 yards and 12 touchdowns. This kid was amazing on the field in both the ground game and passing attack. That is what Illinois needs more than just a straight-line rusher.

Next: Roles of the five returning Illini players

So, yes, it does hurt a little losing a top in-state running back to potentially a Big Ten program, but Lovie has his eyes set on someone who will help the team even more. Williams is a running back who can do everything, and I want him in the Orange and Blue.

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