Illinois Football: Roderick Pierce III views the Illini as “up-and-coming”

One of the goals, when Bret Bielema became the head coach of the Illinois football team, was to build the program with in-state recruits.

The state of Illinois is a very fertile recruiting ground and one that the Illini have failed to take advantage of with some past coaching regimes.

In his first real recruiting class, Bielema was able to bring in 11 in-state recruits out of the 26 commitments for 2022. That is a great start, but consistent in-state recruiting is what will make his actions speak louder than his words.

This June, Illinois will have quite a few recruits arrive in Champaign for an official visit. Roderick Pierce III will be in that group of talented players. He is a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Brother Rice High School and resides in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Pierce is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 96 defensive lineman in the country. He is also the No. 20 player coming out of the state of Illinois.

Roderick Pierce views the Illinois football team as an up-and-coming program.

While Illini Nation waits for the weekend of official visits in June, it is good to get to know some of the recruits who have a great interest in the program.

Pierce is someone who will make an early impact for whatever team he ends up picking, but one thing is for sure, culture matters.

“I love what Coach B and his staff are doing with the program”

“The thing I am looking for in a program is a winning culture.”

Winning culture and Illinois football hasn’t exactly been synonymous in recent years, but in the first season under Bielema, the program does seem to be making a sharp turn in the right direction.

A 5-7 campaign was one game short of a bowl appearance. Illinois won four out of the last seven games as well. There are tinges of winning culture happening in Champaign, and Pierce could be a piece that helps solidify that culture.

Pierce does see the culture building at Illinois too.

“I view the Illinois program as up-and-coming. I love what Coach B and his staff are doing with the program.”

The coaching staff that Pierce mentioned to the Writing Illini has a plan for the talented defensive lineman.

“In college, I believe I will play all over the (defensive) line. Illinois has expressed that they see me as primarily a defensive tackle but love my versatility and believe I can play every position on the line.”

Versatility is big for the Illinois football program. After this season, the Illini will be losing three key contributors to the defensive line, so having someone available to play multiple roles will help Illinois win games. Winning games is a big motivator for Pieces as well.

“The thing that drives me the most on the field is my competitiveness. I hate losing.”

While football is Pierce’s passion and winning is what he wants to achieve, these great recruits are also human. They have interests and hobbies off of the football field. One of Pierce’s hobbies? Funko Pop figurines.

“I try to read a lot. I also collect those Funko Pop figurines. I usually buy them of a show or movie I watch. I have a lot of ones from the show “The Boys”. I have the whole collection.”

Illinois will, hopefully, be able to land Piece for the class of 2023. He is a recruit who could help this team on the defensive line. Pierce also sees Illinois as a team on the rise. Who knows, maybe one day he will be able to collect a Funko Pop of himself in an NFL uniform after a great college career in Champaign.