Illinois Football: Illini added a winner in 2021 safety Tay Curry

The Illinois football program continues to build for its immediate future, landing three-star 2021 defensive back Tay Curry.

Curry, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety, becomes one of the latest additions to Bret Bielema’s first-year squad. The Florida native announced his decision to become an Illini over Twitter on February 22. Curry made the move after originally choosing Dodge City Community College in 2020.

https://twitter.com/taytaycurry1/status/1363939729302028291?s=21

Upon choosing the Illini, Curry also held offers from a few notable FBS programs. Including the Orange and Blue, Curry had interest from Iowa State, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Central Florida, among others.

Curry will join the likes of two fellow commits in Alabama running back Josh McCray and Georgia linebacker Dwayne Johnson. While the signing was “late” in many respects, the move shows that Bielema’s early buy-in from recruits and transfers is starting to officially take shape.

With many states adapting to life around a global pandemic, Florida took no exception. High school football proceeded as planned in the Sunshine State, which allowed Curry to complete his senior season the way it was intended.

The Cocoa Tigers enjoyed great success during the 2020 season. Finishing with a 10-1 record that included eight wins in which the team racked up 30+ points, was highlighted by a 62-0 drubbing of Hudson in the opening round of the playoffs.

The team would eventually lose its third-round playoff game to Cardinal Gibbons, 45-15, which officially concluded a near-perfect season.

What would Tay Curry bring to Champaign?

Starting fresh is never an easy aspect of rebuilding a college football program, but the Illini are doing just that. By landing Curry, the Orange and Blue are still hinging on the South region as being a priority recruiting destination, along with establishing a new culture that underclassmen defensive backs and safeties can find a role in the system early on.

Check out Curry’s senior season highlights below, as he showcases electric speed, a nose for the ball, and his ability to lockdown receivers at the point of attack.

While relatively unknown, Illini pundits should be excited for the future of the 2021 class ahead of spring workouts taking full effect in the coming weeks and months.