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Illinois Football: 5 biggest official visits for the Illini this offseason

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 19: General view of an Illinois Fighting Illini helmet before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2013 in Champaign, Illinois. Wisconsin defeated Illinois 56-32. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 19: General view of an Illinois Fighting Illini helmet before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2013 in Champaign, Illinois. Wisconsin defeated Illinois 56-32. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 21: An Illinois Fighting Illini flag is seen in the tailgate lot before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The Illinois football coaching staff has hit the ground running when it comes to recruiting, and they have already secured numerous official visits.

Every official visit is important considering this is a way for the Illini to show why they would be the best option for the young recruit. It is a chance to show the player what position they would play, the training facilities and the family environment.

While all official visits are important, there are a handful of visits that I really hoping bear fruit. These recruits would fill major holes on the Illinois roster and would have the potential to be impact players from day one.

Here are the five biggest official visits for the Illinois football team this offseason.

5. Shawn Miller

Checking in at the No. 5 spot on the list of biggest official visits this offseason is Shawn Miller. The talented wide receiver would help the Illini offense tremendously.

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. 64 player coming out of the state of Florida.

Back on February 27, Miller ended up cutting his list down to just five programs. The five teams to make his list included West Virginia, Miami (FL), Arizona, Indiana and Illinois. After that list cut, the official visits started being scheduled. Miller has three set up right now with Illinois getting the first on June 4 followed by Indiana on June 18 and then Michigan State on June 25.

The fact Illinois is in the top five and has an official visit is impressive. On February 14, Miller said his top list was coming soon. The Illini hadn’t offered at that time, and then they came in with an offer on February 18. That means Bret Bielema was able to crack his top list within a span of two weeks.

The reason why Miller’s official visit is so big is due to the lack of playmakers on the outside. Illinois’ wide receiver depth is nearly nonexistent. I am not entirely comfortable with our starters this upcoming season either. I am curious to see what Brian Hightower does this season. He is probably our No. 1. James Frenchie and Kyron Cumby should have good years too, but there isn’t nearly enough depth to be competitive.

Getting someone like Miller into the program will give whoever our quarterback ends up being in 2022 more options. Miller then can develop into our No. 1 wide receiver by year two or three. This kid is really good.

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