This is list cutting season and this past weekend proved to be good for the Illinois football team.
The Illinois coaching staff has set out to build the defensive line into one of the best units in the country. To accomplish this goal, we will need to keep bringing in talented players who can suit up early on in their career. That is what I see with Ryheem Craig.
Craig is a 6-foot-3, 212-pound weak-side defensive end from Alexander Central High School and resides in Taylorsville, North Carolina. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 1239 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 65 weak-side defensive end in the nation. He is also the No. 63 player in the state of North Carolina.
On Saturday of this past week, Craig decided to narrow his list down to 12 teams. The programs to make his top list include Western Kentucky, Boston College, Louisville, Florida Atlantic, Syracuse, Liberty, Eastern Carolina, Minnesota, Coastal Carolina, Tennessee and Illinois. This is a solid list, so the Illini will have some competition.
4️⃣✨🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/cpYuDP6QCG
— Ryheem Craig (@CraigRyheem) April 18, 2020
It looks like Craig’s recruitment really blew up in the late winter of this year. That is when most of the teams came in with a scholarship offer, including Illinois who offered him a scholarship on March 21.
As far as a program leading the way, there haven’t been reports of anyone who stands out from the pack. 247Sports has Boston College and Louisville as his top two, though. Even though there is a lack of knowledge on where Craig will end up, there is a clear want for the kid. When you look at what he can do on the field, it is obvious why so many teams are pursuing him.
First off, Craig’s size at 6-foot-3, 212-pounds is solid. He is only going to get bigger from there. He still has a high school season to play as well. I love his natural strength. He is able to get through blockers using this strength and technique taught at the high school level.
The fact Illinois is in the running for a solid defensive end like Craig is exciting. This kid could come into the program and follow in the footsteps of some legendary players. The next step is trying to make his next cut. That will be a tough task.