There could be another Lovie joining the Illinois football program in the near future.
If one Lovie isn’t enough, the Illini decided to go after another. On Wednesday, Lovie Jenkins announced on Twitter that he had received a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois. This is an offer to a kid in the Sunshine State, so it has Coach Keynodo Hudson’s fingerprints all over it.
Jenkins is a 6-foot-1, 181-pound cornerback from Ocoee High School in Ocoee, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No.982 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 78 cornerback in the nation. He is also the No. 124 player in the state of Florida as well.
There are so many teams vying for Jenkins’ commitment. He has roughly 35 scholarship offers on the table right now but it seems that a few teams are standing out for this talented defensive back.
Blessed To Receive An Offer From The University Of Illinois🔸❗️ #illini @IlliniFootball @KeynodoH pic.twitter.com/4u65Rjui9q
— Lovie Jenkins (@Lovie1k) May 8, 2019
According to 247Sports, Jenkins has his top four as Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. He will be taking an official visit to Louisville this weekend. He will then visit Pittsburgh on June 14 and Notre Dame on June 21. That would leave two official visits left. I will be curious to see if Illinois can get in on this recruitment at such a late stage in the game.
Jenkins would be a nice addition to the Illini, though. Teams clearly see that he is a difference maker. A kid with that many scholarships isn’t just a run-of-the-mill player. The first thing I notice about Jenkins is his height. He stands at 6-foot-1, and this will make it tough for wide receivers to have an advantage over him.
A few other things stand out about Jenkins’ game as well. I love his speed. He is able to keep up with the opposing team no matter who he is guarding. It would be nice to have more speed lineup next to Marquez Beason. I also like his hands as well. A big part about being a defensive back is intercepting passes, and I believe Jenkins can do that pretty well.
Next. Illini make top 7 for 2020 DB Miquan Grace. dark
While we are a little late to the party, I will be interested in seeing how much of a pull Coach Hudson has on the state of Florida. We could use more players like Jenkins. Let’s see if we can make some waves.