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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, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 02: The Illinois Fighting Illini helmet on the field in the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

4. Patrick Kutas

The middle of the defensive line is going to be so important moving forward, that is why Patrick Kutas checks in at No. 4 on the biggest official visits for the Illini this offseason.

Kutas is a 6-foot-5, 284-pound defensive tackle from Christian Brothers High School and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 581 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 45 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 21 player in the state of Tennessee.

Illinois hired Bret Bielema on December 19, he offered Kutas a scholarship on February 2 and locked up an official visit with the talented defensive tackle on February 25. Bielema was able to win over Kutas despite him receiving numerous offers throughout the entire process. This kid has at least 23 scholarship offers on the table right now, and Illinois is the first official visit on June 4. He will then head to Virginia Tech on June 11.

The importance of Kutas cannot be understated. Illinois struggled mightily in run defense this past season, giving up 230.1 yards per game on the ground, which ranked No. 117 in the nation. On top of the run defense declining, the Illini are thin and will be getting thinner at defensive tackle.

Rod Perry and Jamal Woods came back for their COVID year. But they will be gone after this season. Calvin Avery and Anthony Shipton will be gone after the 2022 campaign. That leaves Illinois with, essentially, nothing in the middle of the defensive line besides for Johnny Newton. We do have Tre’von Riggins and Quinton McCoy, but they are unproven at this point.

In year one, I see Kutas coming in and, at worst, being a primary backup at defensive tackle. By his sophomore season, it wouldn’t shock me to see him starting for the Illini. His official visit is quite important, and that is why he is on this list. I could make an argument for him being the most important visit.

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