I love a good aggressive coaching staff, and that is what the Illinois football team brings to the table when it comes to recruiting.
A commitment isn’t official until there is pen to paper. Sometimes recruits aren’t wanted at their committed program and other times the pasture seems greener on the other side. As an Illinois fan, I have seen recruits flip to other teams. I have also seen recruits flip to the Orange and Blue. I am hoping that will be the case with Tre’von Riggins.
Riggins is a 6-foot-1.5, 265-pound defensive tackle from Lakewood High School in Saint Petersburg, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 512 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 47 defensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 73 player in the state of Florida.
There has been a ton of recruiting attention earned by Riggins. This kid is talented, so every team in the country wants a piece of him. Some of the bigger offers for Riggins include the likes of Arizona State, Florida and Tennessee, but there was one program that stood out to him.
Blessed to receive an offer from the university of Illinois💯🤞🏽@KeynodoH @Rivals @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/a6bQLdHUpJ
— Tre'von Riggins (@VonRiggins) October 3, 2019
The recruitment for Riggins started back in 2017. Teams were coming after him hard, including the Miami Hurricanes. Miami got an unofficial visit from Riggins in November 2017. By January 2018, he was committed to the Hurricanes. But, since that commitment, more teams have come in with offers. He has also taken unofficial visits to Florida State and Florida, while also visiting Miami a couple of times.
Illinois’ offer to Riggins doesn’t seem like a shot in the dark. Coach Hudson is on the case and he has strong ties to the state of Florida. I wouldn’t overlook the power he has to pull kids from this fertile football ground.
I am curious to see if Illinois can get any type of visit from Riggins. He would be a great addition to the core of the defense line that will be depleted after this season. Adding a player like Riggins would help maintain depth and, eventually, he would suit up as the starter for the Illini.