1. Jerzhan Newton
The biggest fish for the Illinois football team right now is Jerzhan Newton. He is a player the Illini need in on the defensive line.
Newton is a 6-foot-3, 255-pound strong-side defensive end from Clearwater Central Catholica and resides in Clearwater, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 821 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 42 strong-side defensive end in the nation. He is also the No. 94 player in the state of Florida.
The decision is coming to a close for Newton. He is currently committed to Maryland, but Illinois is putting the press on the kid. He also took an official visit to Illinois about a week and a half ago. I am sure this had Maryland worried about how strong the commitment is from Newton.
On Wednesday, Netwon will make a final decision. He is committing at 11 AM CT at Clearwater Central Catholic. This is a big one for the Illini. We have missed out on multiple recruits in the last couple of days. Landing a big defensive end like Newton would help this team, recruiting momentum and the future of the program. I think we will end up flipping this kid.