We are in a new era of Illinois football, and it seems that the coaching staff has made great strides in building for the future.
One of the biggest issues with the previous coaching staff was depth or lack thereof. Illinois didnโt have depth on the roster, and this hurt the program when it came to winning consistently. Well, the new regime seems to be hitting the recruiting trail hard to develop great depth.
On Saturday, Illinois moved one step closer to adding a top playmaker to the roster. Shawn Miller ended up cutting his list down to just five programs and kept West Virginia, Miami (FL), Arizona, Indiana and Illinois all alive for his commitment.
I want to thank all the schools that have shown interest. #top5 pic.twitter.com/uSlIVMvmXZ
โ ๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐๐ท ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ป (@ShawnMiller__) February 27, 2021
Miller is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver from IMG Academy and resides in Bradenton, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 472 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 63 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 63 player coming out of Florida.
There is a ton to love about Millerโs game. The kid has a strong lower body which helps him drive in his routes. His ability to make crisp cuts in his routes will help him break free of the defensive back at the next level. I also like the speed Miller brings to the table. He would be a great addition to the Illini roster.
What chance does Illinois have at landing Miller?
The first thing I look at is where Miller is from because pretty much everyone transfers into IMG Academy. Well, Miller is from Arizona, so immediately, I put the Wildcats at the top of the list. They are one of his top five teams.
Miller currently plays in Florida, and Miami (FL) is the lone Florida program. So, I would probably put Miami (FL) up there as well. The Hurricanes have tremendous pull in that state still.
The fact Illinois was able to hire Bret Bielema and his coaching staff, and within about two months, they have already landed on the top list of a top 500 wide receiver is impressive. That means they have made up a ton of ground.
Illinois is also in desperate need of wide receiver help. With multiple playmakers departing after the 2020 campaign, the Illini will be reeling at wide receiver come 2021. That means we need to load up for the class of 2022. Anyone who comes in from the class of 2022 will have a legit shot to play early in their career. That is a bonus of coming to Illinois.
The fact Illinois has made up so much ground this quickly on Miller means they are a true contender for his commitment. This is complete speculation, but I would probably put the list of contenders in order of Arizona, Miami (FL), Illinois, Indiana and West Virginia. I think the top three are all pretty close, though. Keep an eye on the Illini in this recruitment.