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Illinois Football: Graduate transfer Akayleb Evans receives Illini offer

By Zain Bando

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)
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) /
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The Illinois football program is leaning towards the graduate transfer route, as the Orange and Blue offered ex-Tulsa cornerback, Akayleb Evans.

The Illini have been hard at work recruiting the best talent it can to become successful under new head coach, Bret Bielema. Its strategy, while complex, involves utilizing the graduate transfer portal to help steer success for years to come.

The Orange and Blue’s latest offer to Tulsa graduate transfer, Akayleb Evans, is a prime example of the program’s initiative to recruit experience in order to establish an identity as one of the Big Ten’s most well-balanced teams.

Evans was offered by Illinois on May 21, as he took to Twitter to make the news official. After leaving Tulsa with two years of eligibility remaining, Evans started to pick up offers from Texas, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Nebraska, to name a few. He was originally a member of the 2017 class before signing with Tulsa and playing there for three years before suffering an injury that caused him to miss nine games in 2019.

What would Akayleb Evans bring to the Illinois football team?

While at Tulsa, he appeared in nine games as a sophomore and registered 50 tackles during his entire career. Evans also secured a forced fumble earned one sack in his final season with the program, as he did his best to make the most of a limited opportunity.

Despite injuries, Evans showcased his ability as a consistent threat at the cornerback position. Check out his highlight tape from his years as a Golden Hurricane below. The video showcases his lockdown skills, his ability to disrupt routes, and his physicality while manning the line of scrimmage.

While Evans is in a tight recruiting battle with a plethora of Midwestern programs, landing Evans would add a boast of creditability and redefine Illinois’ importance to the Southern region in looking for talent.

Next. Illini going hard after one of the top 2022 centers. dark

Let’s see if the Illini can win out and snag an underrated cornerback that’s eyeing a fresh start and new beginnings.

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