Illinois Football: Illini add Seth Coleman to the class of 2019

This weekend was big for the Illinois football team as they landed another recruit on Sunday afternoon.

After an official visit to Champaign this weekend, Seth Coleman decided to pull the trigger and commit to the Illini. He is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound weak-side defensive tackle from Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, Florida. He isn’t rated or ranked on the recruiting sites, but he is a player who could help the program in the near future.

Coleman is the tenth Illini commitment for the class of 2019. He joins a group that is poised to be one of the best classes Illinois fans have seen in over a decade. He is also the first defensive end in the group as well. That is one of the reasons why this was a solid commitment for the Illini. Another reason is his skills.

I realize that Coleman is not rated or ranked by the recruiting sites, but I see a player who could be pretty good down the road. I doubt Coleman helps the Illini year one, but he has the framework for a talented defensive end or potentially a different position.

Just looking at what he can do on the field, I think Coleman would be best suited for an outside linebacker role. He doesn’t have the bulk to line up at defensive end in the Big Ten right now. But, with his speed and length, I think he would be dangerous outside linebacker. He can rush the quarterback and get through the line well. He would be able to cover tight ends and other wide receivers due to his speed as well.

The career trajectory for Coleman is likely a redshirt year one followed by a year or two as a backup. If you are looking for when Coleman is going to start, I would say it would most likely be his redshirt junior season. He would be unleashed then and would be a great piece for the program.

Illinois had a good recruiting weekend. They added a few players who are long-term investments. I like what I see and, hopefully, we can continue building.