Illinois Football: Lawrence Arnold receives offer from Illini

On Friday night, the Illinois football team was busy watching some players and offering scholarships to future targets.

One of the offers the Illini coaching staff handed out was to Lawrence Arnold. He is a big-time player from a state that Illinois continues to recruit hard and has had success snagging players over the last few classes.

Arnold is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound wide receiver from DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 479 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 89 wide receiver in the nation. Snagging a player like Arnold would absolutely be massive for this Illini program.

Let’s just start off by saying, Illinois needs more wide receiver help. They are going to be extremely thin heading into 2019 and by 2020, I expect more talent to be coming in and that will hopefully include Arnold.

Arnold would also help continue the great pipeline that Illinois has built in the state of Texas. The Illini coaching staff has clearly established a relationship with many programs in the Lone Star State. This has helped land players like Calvin Avery and Marquez Beason. Having this strong tie with Texas will help Illinois to win football games in the near future.

There is a lot to like about Arnold’s game. Let’s first start off with his size. Having a pass catcher who is 6-foot-3 is amazing. Illinois is going to need someone who can go up and get the ball. That is what Arnold can do for a team. He is already taller than the defensive backs. He is also able to jump up and bring the ball down.

I also like Arnold’s speed as well. This kid can glide around the field and get past defenders before they know what is going on. He is a dangerous wide receiver who can tear up an opposing defense.

I really hope Illinois can get in on Arnold’s recruitment. This kid has the size and skill set to be a really good player at the college level. I want him in the Orange and Blue.