Illinois Football: Illini bulk up the offensive line with commitment

The offensive line is clearly important to the new Illinois football coaching staff, as the Orange and Blue added to their front five on Friday.

To kick off what should be a solid weekend for Illini sports, Hunter Whitenack decided to end his recruitment and commit to the Illinois football program. This is now the second commitment for the Illini in the last two and a half weeks and one that will help build the foundation for years to come.

Whitenack is a 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive tackle from New Prairie High School and resides in New Carlisle, Indiana. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 130 offensive tackle in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 21 player in the state of Indiana.

This actually seems to be an underrated get for the Illini considering the recruiting attention Whitenack is receiving. He has looks from teams like Iowa, Notre Dame, Purdue and Wisconsin, and he has offers from teams like Cincinnati and Central Michigan, in addition to Illinois. So, snagging this kid for 2022 is a solid get for the program.

What does Whitenack bring to the Illinois football team?

He is massive. It is simple as that. Whitenack is 6-foot-7, 290-pounds, and he hasn’t even started his senior year of high school. That is insane size, and now all offensive line coach Bart Miller has to do is mold Whitenack’s talent into a college offensive tackle.

I am not sure how much development Whitenack actually needs at the next level. There are some technique things he could clean up, but for the most part, this kid is a menace. The way he moves at his size is impressive. He can run block with the best of the best. His foot movement when pass blocking is solid as well. This kid is the real deal.

If Whitenack played for a bigger program like Ben Davis or Carmel, he would have been a four-star and wanted by the entire country. This kid is going to be such an asset to the Illinois football team, and he could see playing time pretty early in his career.

Alex Palczewski and Vederian Lowe are both gone after the 2021 campaign. Behind those two are a bunch of unproven players. I think Brody Wisecarver is going to be next in line. But, honestly, who knows who steps up in that other tackle role. This position is wide open, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Whitenack compete and start in the first couple of years.

Illinois got an under-the-radar talent in Whitenack on Friday. He is going to be a true building block to get this program back on the national map.