Illinois Basketball: Illini showing interest in 2021 forward Jaylon Tyson

There is still plenty of room left for the class of 2021, and the Illinois basketball coaching staff is casting a wide net.

The Illini have already been able to land top 100 recruit Luke Goode for 2021. This was a huge get by the Orange and Blue considering the talented shooter is a top 100 player and he is from northeast Indiana. There hasn’t been a commitment to Illinois from a northeast Indiana kid in my lifetime.

But the class of 2021 isn’t nearly finished. As previously mentioned, the Illini are casting a wide net over this group of talented recruits. One of their most recent players of interest is Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward from John Paul II High School and resides in Plano, Texas. For some reason, 247Sports doesn’t have a rating or ranking on Tyson, but Rivals checks him in as a four-star recruit who is the No. 107 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 24 small forward in the nation.

The offers have already started to come in for the wing player from Texas. Tyson already has roughly 11 scholarship offers with more surely to come. I don’t believe the Illini have come in with an offer yet, but according to Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com, Tyson has started to get some interest from Illinois.

I fully expect Tyson to get an offer from Illinois in the near future. So, where would he fit in with the Illini lineup come 2021?

I see Tyson playing either the No. 3 or No. 4 spot for the Orange and Blue. I think he would best suited at the No. 4 spot because of the way he plays. While he is 6-foot-6, his wingspan has to be longer than that. He plays with a wingspan of someone who is 6-foot-9 or bigger. His defensive prowess is exciting to watch.

Illinois should come in with an offer to Tyson. I think this kid could be a defensive stopper, and that is what Brad Underwood loves. Let’s continue building this class of 2021.