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Illinois Football: Illini make top 3 for DE Keith Randolph

ByRees Woodcock|
CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini is seen during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Illinois football team had a great Saturday night as they made another top list for a big-time recruit.

Keith Randolph took to Twitter to announce his top three. He included Purdue, Wyoming and Illinois. Randolph is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound strongside defensive end from Belleville West High School in Belleville, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 48 strongside defensive end in the class of 2019 and the No. 8 player in the state of Illinois.

Illinois making Randolph’s top three is a big deal. He had roughly 18 scholarship offers and most of them were from D1 programs. The Illini now have a chance to boost their defense with a talented player from the southern part of the state.

It is honestly difficult to find flaws in Randolph’s game. This kid has everything you want in a defensive end and it is exciting to possibly get him into Champaign.

Let me first start off by saying, I really like Randolph’s speed. He can get off the line quickly and this enables him to get to the ball carrier in the backfield. I am sure Lovie Smith and Hardy Nickerson loves this aspect of his game.

The other big element to what Randolph brings to the table is his size. Usually, the quicker defensive ends are smaller. But, that isn’t the case with Randolph. He has great size at 6-foot-5, 240-pounds. The combination of the size and speed he has is awfully impressive.

I believe there would be ample opportunity for Randolph to compete for snaps and even a starting job year one as well.

While I like what some of the Illini defensive ends did last season, they were one of the worst groups at stopping the run in 2017. This needs to change and that means Randolph would likely have a chance to come in and make an impact. He has the skillset to have a chance at a starting job.

Next: Next 3 Illini players to get picked in the NBA Draft

It is exciting for the Illini to be in Randolph’s top three. They need a player of his caliber and, hopefully, they can close the deal.

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