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Illinois Football: 3 reasons to not worry about the Illini class of 2021

By Rees Woodcock

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini walks on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini walks on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 30: Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Brandon Peters (18) during the Redbox Bowl between the California Golden Bears and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Levi’s Stadium on December 30, 2019 in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Transfer U

Lovie Smith and the Illinois football team hasn’t been able to sign a full class in a few years. The roster was pretty full for the class of 2020, so we couldn’t bring in a full group of recruits.

Other classes prior to 2020 haven’t been a full grouping either. But I believe this is by design. Illinois doesn’t want to take up every scholarship they have available because they are becoming the Transfer U of the college football world.

I would worry if the Illini weren’t signing full classes and weren’t able to snag transfers. But this coaching staff has proved that they can bring in top talent via the transfer portal. So, we would need available scholarships for these incoming players.

Technically, we haven’t landed a transfer for 2021 yet, but Brian Hightower decided to transfer into the program about a month back. He has to sit out this season and will have two years of eligibility heading into the 2021 campaign. The transfer market for 2021 opens up sometime in the middle of the 2020 campaign too. That is when our coaching staff starts pouncing on players looking for a new home.

So, if you are worried about the class of 2021 because it might not be a full group coming in, you probably shouldn’t. We are unlikely to sign 25 freshmen due to the fact we are so good in the transfer market. I would expect somewhere around 17-20 freshmen signed for 2021. That would leave room for transfers to come into the program.

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