Illinois Football: 2022 cornerback keeps Illini on top 5 list

The recruiting trail continues to look better and better as the Illinois football team has now made a top list for a 2022 recruit.

There are already nearly 20 recruits who are coming to Champaign in the month of June for an official visit. While Patrick Body Jr. hasn’t scheduled one of those official visits with the Illini just yet, he has decided to cut his list down to just five programs.

On Wednesday, Body narrowed his list to five teams and kept Cincinnati, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Illinois all alive for his commitment. He did mention in the tweet that his recruitment is still 100-percent open, though.

Body’s recruiting has started to really pick up some steam over the past few months. He is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Gateway High School and resides in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 861 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 83 cornerback in the nation and the No. 21 player coming out of Pennsylvania.

What would Brody bring to the Illinois football program?

There are some strong points to Body’s game that I love. His size is right where I want it for a cornerback. Having someone who is 6-foot-2, 180-pounds in the secondary is going to give offenses nightmares.

The vision that Body brings to the table is excellent as well. He can see a play unfold before it happens. This enables him to jump on a route and break up a pass.

Body seems like an athletic freak who needs some finetuning. I believe he is extremely raw still, but a coaching staff like the one at Illinois could help him develop into a great defensive back.

I see Body coming into the Illini program and redshirting year one. Illinois has some solid members in the secondary right now, but he will be needed down the road. By 2023, Body should be a solid backup. After that, I see him as a potential starter for two or three seasons.

Illinois making the top five for Body is exciting. This kid has a ton of potential. Hopefully, the Illini can make that top five into a top one with a commitment down the road.