The Illinois football class of 2020 started off slow but they are picking up some steam.
This class consists of seven commitments right now, and they have a national ranking of No. 94 and a Big Ten ranking of No. 14. That number is pretty low because the quantity is not there for the Orange and Blue. The quality is definitely there, though. Five out of the seven recruits are ranked inside the top 1000.
Here are the Illini recruits and how their teams are doing in 2019.
CJ Dixon – Grayson High School
The Grayson Rams start their 2019 campaign off against James Clemens High School tonight, Friday, August 23. Grayson is currently ranked as the No. 275 team in the nation and the No. 11 team in the state of Georgia.
CJ Dixon should be leading the way for Grayson this season. He is a four-star recruit who is the No. 281 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 16 pro-style quarterback in the nation. He is also the No. 27 player in the state of Georgia.
Jadon Thompson – Marist High School
Marist RedHawks don’t start their season until next Saturday. They will be hosting Dunbar August 31. The RedHawks are the No. 277 team in the country and the No. 9 team in the state of Illinois.
Snagging Jadon Thompson was huge for the Illini. He is a four-star recruit who is the No. 321 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 57 wide receiver in the nation. He is also the No. 5 player in the state of Illinois.
Reggie Love – Trinity Catholic High School
The first game for the Trinity Catholic Titans is next Saturday, August 31 as well. They will be taking on Lutheran North. The Titans are coming off a state championship led by current Illini backup quarterback, Isaiah Williams.
Reggie Love is going to be a big part of Trinity Catholic’s title run in 2019. He will then join Williams in 2020. Love is a three-star recruit who is the No. 388 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 26 running back in the nation. He is also the No. 7 player in the state of Missouri.
Kevin Tyler – Ritenour High School
The Ritenour Huskies will start their 2019 campaign next Friday, August 30. They will go up against Ladue Horton Watkins. Ritenour is ranked as the No. 5,503 team in the country and the No. 138 team in the state of Missouri.
A big part of the Ritenour offensive line is Kevin Tyler. He will soon be a big part of the Illini offensive line as well. He is a three-star recruit who is the No. 836 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 67 offensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 16 player in the state of Missouri.
Phifer Griffin – Union Academy
Another team that kicks off next Friday, August 30 is Union Academy. The Cardinals start their 2019 season against South Stanly. Union Academy is the No. 12,520 team in the country and the No. 380 team in the state of North Carolina.
Having a great offensive line will help the Cardinals this season. Phifer Griffin is a part of that squad. He is a three-star recruit who is the No. 886 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 71 offensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 31 player in the state of North Carolina.
Quinton McCoy – Bloomingdale High School
Illinois does have a couple of recruits who play tonight. The Bloomingdale Bulls start their season on Friday, August 23 against Newsome High School. The Bulls are the No. 115 team in the nation and the No. 25 team in the state of Florida.
Quinton McCoy will be a big piece to the Bloomingdale defensive line. He will eventually join the Illini in 2020, but he has some business to finish in the high school ranks. McCoy is a three-star recruit who is the No. 1344 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 103 defensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 153 player in the state of Florida.
Blaise Sparks – North Fort Myers High School
Another state of Florida recruit who starts on Friday is Blaise Sparks. His North Fort Myers team goes up against Cape Coral on Friday, August 23. The Red Knights are the No. 1,782 team in the nation and the No. 172 team in the state of Florida.
Sparks is going to be a big-time offensive lineman for the Illini. He is a three-star recruit who is the No. 1806 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 152 offensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 248 player in the state of Florida.