Illinois Football: 2021’s Hayden Reed enjoys virtual visit with Illini

Who is Army commit and dual-threat prospect Hayden Reed?

The Illinois football team continues to remain active on the recruiting front, as they gave 6-foot 2, 210-pound running back and Army commit, Hayden Reed, a virtual visit June 25.

While he is already committed to Army, Reed is leaving his options open. Currently, Reed hails from Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. He is rated as the No. 192 running back in the class of 2021 and ranks No. 307 in the state of Florida.

Reed’s Plant Panthers squad finished 4-5 in 2019, but there were a few bright spots. The biggest one of them all was winning the final four games of the regular season, including back-to-back 44-0 shutouts of Alonso and Robinson, respectfully. In addition, the Panthers only gave up a grand total of 20 points during the final stretch of the season.

The Tale of the Tape and what Reed could bring to Champaign.

Reed has also shown interest from Bucknell and Colorado State throughout his high school career. Through 10 games, Reed finished with 8 touchdowns and 820 yards from scrimmage. His Hudl can be viewed below, which showcases his speed and agility coming off the ball, which is similar to Dre Brown or Reggie Corbin’s running ability. Reed also has a tendency to not go down on a play until the whistle blows, making him a physical presence no matter where he lyes on the field.

If Illinois is able to land Reed, it would add to the team’s already-expanding Florida pipeline. The Illini finished 6-7, just missing out on a bowl victory in December 2019. If a season were to happen, expectations will remain high in Champaign. For now, only time will tell as the dog days of summer and recruiting roll on into July.