Illinois Football: Pipeline to Florida continues to strengthen for the Illini

Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema and the coaching staff continued to strengthen the Florida-to-Illinois pipeline by landing this three-star recruit.

2023 prospect Nathan Guinn announced to Twitter last Monday that he will be suiting up for the Illini at the next level.

Guinn is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound tight end/wide receiver currently attending Vero Beach High School. He is ranked the No. 64 tight end in the nation and the No. 205 player in Florida.  An under-the-radar prospect, Guinn holds just two other offers from Stetson and Eastern Illinois.

At Vero Beach, Guinn has proven he is a two-way player, primarily playing defensive end for the Indians.  Watching his film, the three-star is quick off the ball and uses his speed and 6-foot-6 stature to excel in pursuit tackles and tackles for loss.

Guinn has been showcasing his talents on the offensive side of the ball by sharing clips of him running routes and snagging balls in preparation for Vero Beach’s spring game.

The commitment came just over two weeks after he took a June 11 visit, where he walked away with an offer.

Where does the Illinois football class of 2023 stand now?

Illinois has now bumped their class of 2023 to 15 commitments.  In addition to Guinn, the Illini were also able to land Kenari Wilcher on the 4th of July, who is also from Florida. These two commitments bring Illinois to six pledges from the sunshine state.

With the 15 commitments, Illinois now has the No. 42 class in the country for 2023. They also rank No. 11 in the Big Ten.

Bielema and staff are still awaiting word from key four-star prospects wide receiver Malik Elzy and defensive back Jyiare Hill, as well as three-star wide receiver Famah Toure.  Toure is expected to decide between Rutgers and the Illini on July 9, while Elzy and Hill do not have timetables for their decisions.