The Illinois football team could have used a player like Bryce Childress in the class of 2019.
At one time Childress was committed to play football for the Illini, but on October 6, 2018, he decided to back away from that commitment. All of this was happening as his Trinity Catholic team was blazing a path toward the state championship.
Trinity Catholic dropped their first two games of the 2018 season but didn’t lose after that. They plowed through every team with relative ease, eventually winning the Missouri Class 3 state championship over Cardinal Ritter College Prep 45-19.
Childress was a big part of this team. That is probably why he is rated so highly by recruiting sites. He is a 5-foot-9, 155-pound wide receiver and cornerback who is rated as a three-star recruit and is the No. 904 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 86 cornerback in the nation.
Childress explained a little more to the Writing Illini about what this title meant to him.
“It meant everything,” said Childress, “We were there at state my sophomore year but lost, and that feeling did something to me that really hurt and I told myself I will never go through that ever again.”
Childress continued, “The feeling was speechless, it felt like a dream.”
The state title is something Childress will always cherish, but now it is on to the next step of his career. The last time we checked in with him, he was still eyeing the Illini as his top landing spot for college. Figuring out where he will spend his next four years of schooling is his top priority. But, the landing spot is looking to be different than what was previously thought.
“The only school I have been talking to is Toledo,” said Childress.
Toledo is a good program with a coaching staff that I like. I have always been a fan of wide receivers coach Mike Bellamy. He was a great recruiter when he was with the Illini as a coach and has done some great work since joining the Rockets staff.
But, with Childress mentioning the only school he has been talking to is Toledo, this got me to thinking; what happened to Illinois?
“Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from anyone there and that should tell you everything you want to know,” said Childress, “it is no love lost there, I am guessing they want to move on, so I have to do the same.”
Now, this is only one side of the story about what happened with the devolving relationship between Illinois and Childress. But, this is his side. Sometimes relationships don’t work out and it is best for both parties to go their separate way.
Childress is going to be taking an official visit to Toledo next week. I assume this will likely be his final visit and he will eventually end up with the Rockets. He would be a great get for a MAC program. I want Childress to be successful wherever he ends up. I am just sad his recruitment had to end this way with the Illini. Good luck to him in the future.