Illinois Football: 2021 target Willie Shaw sets up Illini visit

Recruiting has clearly turned the corner and it is only a matter of time before the Illinois football team starts compiling wins.

I firmly believe the statement above, but I know there are some fans out there who would disagree with me. But I think the rest of 2019 is going to turn out better than some people think. The great job this Illini coaching staff has done on the recruiting trail will pay dividends this year. The staff isn’t slowing down either. They are focusing on the class of 2020 and even the class of 2021 as well.

One of the biggest targets for the Illini right now is Willie Shaw. He is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound running back from Brother Rice High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 543 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 45 running back in the nation. He is also the No. 15 player in the state of Illinois.

Just a couple of days ago, Josh Helmholdt of Rivals had a chance to interview Shaw. Shaw proceeded to say that he liked pretty much everything about Illinois. That is a good start for the Illini considering how talented this kid is on the football field.

I imagine Shaw continues to rise in the recruiting ranks over the next couple of years. As of right now, he already has three scholarship offers which include Iowa, Virginia and Illinois. I would imagine his offers will skyrocket over the next year.

Despite the other two scholarship offers right now, it seems like Illinois has a nice lead for Shaw. His recruitment has barely started, but he likes the program and is now taking a visit to Champaign on October 12. He will be there to see the Illini take on Michigan.

If you have time today, I implore you to go watch some of Shaw’s runs from this season and last season. This kid is a joy to watch. He has such a silky smooth game but is also physically intimidating at the same time. I also love his ability to make defenders miss with just a little movement of his hips. It is quite impressive. His running style reminds me a lot of Jordan Howard.

I am excited to see Illinois out front on Shaw’s recruitment. We have lost too many great in-state running backs to other programs. It is time for the Illini to take back the state of Illinois.