Illinois Football: Illini come in with offer to Theodore Lockley

The Illinois football class of 2021 hasn’t quite picked up steam, but the coaching staff continues to push for talented players.

There is always a need for more playmakers on the Illini roster. The wide receiver corps is good this season, but they will be losing a ton of talent heading into the 2021 campaign. Picking up someone like Theodore Lockley would be good for the program.

Lockley is a 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver from Mainland High School and resides in Daytona Beach, Florida. He isn’t rated or ranked by 247Sports, but he does have a nice list of scholarship offers to fall back on.

There have been roughly 25 scholarship offers for Lockley so far during his recruitment. Some of the bigger programs to pursue the talented pass catcher are Illinois, Western Kentucky and Rutgers. More offers will surely come for this kid as well.

Lockley isn’t going to wow you with his size. He only stands at 6-foot tall and weighs 175-pounds. But what stands out to me about this kid is his speed and hands. I love how he can get into the open with his ability to move. He is someone who defenses will sleep on while he is burning past the defender. His hands are also a huge part of his game. He can catch the ball in traffic.

I think Lockley would fit perfectly with the Illini. He would be a great option in the slot. Illinois quarterbacks can dump the ball down to him on a shallow crossing route, and then he can pick up a ton of yards after catch.

On paper, Illinois isn’t offering the flashiest kid in the class of 2021. But I believe Lockley could be an asset to this team down the road. I like this offer by the Illini and think it could pay dividends.