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Illinois Football: Illini receive commitment from DD Snyder

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL. - NOVEMBER 30: The Fighting Illini take the field before a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the IIllinois Fighting Illini on November 30, 2019, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL. - NOVEMBER 30: The Fighting Illini take the field before a Big Ten Conference college football game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the IIllinois Fighting Illini on November 30, 2019, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Illinois football team needed secondary help and that is what they received on Monday afternoon.

DD Snyder took to Instagram to announce that he has committed to the University of Illinois. He picked the Illini over teams like Louisville, Indiana, Central Florida and South Florida. This is a big commitment for both Illinois and Snyder.

Snyder is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety from Tampa Catholic High School and resides in Tampa, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 1436 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 117 safety in the nation. He is also rated as the No. 201 player in the state of Florida.

The offer list for Snyder was extensive. He had roughly 22 scholarship offers and a lot of those were from big-time programs. But the Illini ended up winning out for this talented defensive stopper.

Snyder now adds to an Illinois secondary that seems to be getting stronger by the week. In addition to the Snyder commitment, the Illini have also received commitments from defensive backs Joriell Washington, Prince Green and Daniel Edwards. There has been a clear goal to build the secondary this offseason.

Where does Snyder fit in on the Illinois roster?

Heading into 2021, I like what Illinois has at defensive back. I have Marquez Beason and Quan Martin starting at cornerback. Incoming transfer TreSean Smith and Sydney Brown are the two starters at safety. I would then have someone like Devon Witherspoon or Joseph Thompson at the nickel position when needed.

I see Snyder coming in and not having to contribute right away. This will enable him to get bigger, faster and stronger. The college game is much more different than the high school game. A redshirt year would help this kid tremendously.

Next. Rerating every Illini recruit from the 2010s. dark

After the 2021 campaign, Illinois will have six of their defensive backs graduate. This will leave a lot of playing time to be filled. I could see Snyder getting snaps as a redshirt freshman. He would then move into more of a starter role by his sophomore or junior campaign. That is the path I see for this talented defensive back.

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