Illinois Football: Illini sign class of 2021 guard Zachary Barlev

Kendrick Green was a first-team All-Big Ten guard for the Illinois football team in 2020, but we are going to need to replace him soon.

It is hard to replace someone with that type of talent. A player like Green doesn’t come around very often. But, on Wednesday, the Illini signed Zachary Barlev to help fill the void that could be left by Green.

Barlev is a 6-foot-4, 292-pound offensive guard from Plainfield East High School and resides in Plainfield, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit, the No. 1773 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 83 offensive guard in the nation. He is also the No. 46 player in the state of Illinois.

Breakdown of Barlev’s impact on Illinois

As I said earlier, Green might be departing the Illinois football program. While he is only a junior, the NFL could be calling for him. Even if they aren’t, Green will be gone after the 2021 campaign.

Verdis Brown was the other guard for most of 2020. He is a solid player who is only going to improve as time goes on. It wouldn’t shock me to see Brown in the NFL as well. But, beyond Green and Brown, there isn’t proven depth at guard.

Barlev is going to have a chance to come in and compete for playing time right away. There isn’t a ton of depth, so this bodes well for his chances of seeing snaps.

Illinois high school football is playing in the spring, so Barlev won’t be enrolling early. The summer months are going to be crucial for his development. This kid is the future at the guard position for the Illini.