The Illinois football team is pursuing a multitude of recruits for the class of 2020.
These players would all help the program build into a Big Ten and national contender. But landing some of these talented recruits is the tough part. Illinois has done a great job of snagging some of the most talented players from different parts of the country.
When it comes to predicting who is going to commit where, the recruiting sites are decently accurate. There are some hiccups along the way, but on occasions, they are right on the money. 247Sports is one of the most established recruiting sites out there. They have a thing called the Crystal Ball. It is essentially a predictor on where certain players will go. Let’s take a look at the Crystal Ball as it pertains to the Illini.
Illinois currently has two players committed for the class of 2020. Reggie Love committed back on April 7 and Jadon Thompson was a day later on April 8. There are five other players that 247Sports is predicting will land with the Illini.
The two highest players on this list are Jalen St. John and Willis Singleton both at 100-percent Illinois. St. John is a three-star offensive tackle who is the No. 663 player in the class of 2020. He would be a great addition from Trinity Catholic High School.
Singleton is a three-star defensive tackle who is the No. 1197 player in the class of 2020. He would be a nice addition to the Illinois defensive line. The Illini have three big-time defensive tackles departing after this season, so adding Singleton would be clutch.
The next player on the list is Mookie Cooper. He is predicted at 62-percent Illinois with Miami (FL) at 25-percent and Texas at 12-percent. Cooper is a four-star wide receiver who is the No. 65 player in the class of 2020. He was once committed to the Longhorns but backed away from that commitment. He would be a great pickup for the Illini.
Kevo Wesley is the next highest possibility for the Illini, according to 247Sports. He is at 50-percent for Illinois and 50-percent for Iowa. Wesley is a three-star offensive tackle who is the No. 893 player in the class of 2020. Wesley is making his commitment on August 5, so Illinois still has some work to do here. They need to continue building their offensive line, though.
The final player on the list is Denver Warren. He is predicted at 38-percent Illinois, 31-percent Michigan, 23-percent question mark and 8-percent Michigan State. Warren is a three-star defensive tackle who is the No. 463 player in the class of 2020. He was once committed to Michigan but is looking at all options now. Warren would see early playing time with the Illini.
These are the Crystal Ball predictions as of right now. Illinois seems to be in the mix for some big-time recruits. Hopefully, we can lock a few of these down and continue building for the future.