There is no doubt in my mind that Bret Bielema will build the Illinois football program into a consistent winner.
Bielema already has the Illini on the right track after leading the team to a 5-7 campaign in year one. The next step is to build recruiting classes. The first recruiting class for Bielema ranked No. 46 in the country, which is the highest-ranking since the Ron Zook era.
But Illinois doesn’t need just one good recruiting class. We need to stack classes, which will ultimately build the needed depth to compete in the Big Ten. So far, Illinois has two players committed for 2023, and those two players give the Illini the No. 45 ranked class in the nation. There are plenty of players left who could join this class, and one of those players could be Miles McVay.
McVay is a 6-foot-6, 358-pound offensive tackle from East St. Louis High School and resides in East St. Louis, Illinois. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 126 player in the class of 2023. McVay is also the No. 14 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 2 player coming out of the state of Illinois.
The Illini have always been in the race for McVay, but on Wednesday, he confirmed via his Twitter account that Illinois is still in the mix. McVay released his top 12 programs, which included Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, USC, Florida, LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois.
— Miles FaMous McVay (@McVayMiles) April 13, 2022
Illinois football landing Miles McVay would send shockwaves through the college football landscape.
McVay is a great player at the high school level and will only continue to get better with proper training and college-level coaching. This kid has the potential to be an All-American early on in his career.
Usually, when you have a player who is as big as McVay, he is cumbersome and doesn’t get off the ball well. But that isn’t the case with this kid. McVay has amazing footwork and is quick with his movements. His pass blocking is phenomenal, and I am shocked by his ability to pull and get upfield when run blocking.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that McVay is a top 150 recruit and wanted by every big-time program in the nation. The thing that is going to be tough is the other 11 teams Illinois is competing with for his commitment.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter where McVay lands, he is going to be a great player and a future NFL draft pick. I want him to stay home, but this will be an amazingly tough recruitment to win. If Bielema can pull this one off, it will show just how strong his recruiting pull actually is in the college game.