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Illinois Football: Illini lose crucial piece to 2020 recruiting class

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 13: An Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sits on top of a dryer on the sidelines during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 13: An Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sits on top of a dryer on the sidelines during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 13, 2018, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Much like the basketball team, the Illinois football team had a rough weekend when it comes to recruiting as well.

Losing a player is always painful especially when that player is a top 1000 offensive lineman who could help the team immediately. Marcus Harper tweeted out on Sunday night that he has decided to back away from his commitment to Illinois. He says that Illinois is still in the running for his commitment, though.

Harper is a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive guard from Simeon High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 638 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 35 offensive guard in the nation. He is also the No. 8 player in the state of Illinois as well.

There are a lot of big-time programs after Harper. He has offers from teams like Kansas State, Louisville and Iowa State. But he decided to pick Illinois out of all of the teams just three weeks ago on April 7. That commitment didn’t last long, and now he is, potentially, looking for a new home.

The Illinois basketball team just lost Antwan January as well. Two recruits who backed away from their commitments hurts the programs, but losing Harper hurts way more for the football team than losing January hurts the basketball program.

Harper was going to have a chance to come in and be a starter for the Illini in the first two years he was with the team. I am not sure he would even redshirt. Illinois is losing a lot of offensive line talent here in the next couple of years. That is why Harper was such a big pickup for the Illinois coaching staff.

dark. Next. Illini target Kevo Wesley sets commitment date

I hope we can make up some ground and convince Harper to come back and play for the Orange and Blue. He has a place on this team. The most important thing is that he picks a team that he feels most comfortable with. I want this kid to succeed in the future. I wish him nothing but the best moving forward.

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