3. Blaise Sparks
When it comes to offensive linemen, I don’t always look at how many stars they have or what high school program they attend. I more focus on the size of the player and, sometimes, the scholarship offers they have received. This is the case with Blaise Sparks.
Sparks is a 6-foot-7, 301-pound offensive tackle from North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, Florida. He isn’t rated or ranked by recruiting sites, but he is starting to get some solid recruiting attention.
Illinois was Sparks’ most recent scholarship offer back on July 2. Before that offer, he was still picking up big-time offers from other programs like Rutgers, FAU and Pittsburgh. It would not shock me to see him continue to pick up offers from other solid programs including some in the Big Ten.
Sparks is a player who has the size I want for an offensive tackle. That framework is there and we have seen what the Illini coaching staff can do with players who have the right size. They can form them into starting caliber talent.
I don’t see Sparks playing right away. I have him as a redshirt year one. But I could see him getting playing time during his redshirt freshman season and then starting by his redshirt junior year.