Illinois Football: Top 5 Illini targets for the class of 2021

5. Dedrick Smith

The fact Illinois is building a linebacker corps that is bruising and will do great things in the future is exciting. I would love to see a tradition of linebackers into the NFL start with this program. Snagging someone like Dedrick Smith could help that tradition form.

Smith is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound outside linebacker from Robert E. Lee High School and resides in Jacksonville, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 912 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 74 athlete in the nation. He is also the No. 113 player in the state of Florida.

A lot of programs haven’t caught onto Smith just yet. He only has eight scholarship offers, but there are a ton more to come for this kid. Some of the bigger offers he holds right now include Illinois, Miami (FL) and North Carolina.

This might be a head-scratcher for some fans on why I would add Smith to this list. But I believe we have a shot at snagging him and bringing in another great athlete. One of the big reasons why I think we can pull in Smith is the fact we have his brother on the team right now.

Dedrick’s brother, Derrick Smith, transferred in from Miami and will be playing linebacker for the Illini this year. This strong connection has to put Illinois squarely in the middle of Smith’s recruitment. I also believe the Illini need more playmakers on the roster. I think Smith could play multiple roles on this team.

Getting someone like Smith would help the Orange and Blue greatly. Lovie and the coaching staff love players who are versatile. That is what Smith can do for this program.