Even when the Illinois football team isn’t landing a new player, things on the recruiting front continue to improve.
Coming off a successful season that saw the Illini win eight games, the program is trying to add to the positive momentum with a solid recruiting class of 2023.
As of right now, according to Rivals, Illinois has the No. 37 ranked class in the country. To add to the excitement of having a top-40 recruiting class, one of the top players in linebacker Antwon Hayden has been elevated from a three-star recruit to a four-star recruit.
This elevation is some pretty big news considering the Illini now have two four-star players coming in from the class of 2023. Hayden joins running back Kaden Feagin as the other four-star in the class.
Bret Bielema is doing some special work with Illinois football recruiting.
Illinois is building out a really good class of 2023, but this isn’t a one-off by any means. Producing talented recruiting classes is a trend Bret Bielema has brought to Champaign.
I mapped out every recruiting class Illinois has had since 2010. What is the highest-ranked recruiting class the Illini have had since 2010? That would be the class of 2023 if we can keep the ranking inside the top 40 nationally. The current ranking of No. 37 in the country is the highest-ranked recruiting class Illinois has had in the past 14 recruiting classes.
Top Illinois football recruiting classes since 2010, according to Rivals.
— Writing Illini (@WritingIlliniFS) December 8, 2022
2023 - #37 BB
2022 - #41 BB
2011 - #42 RZ
2015 - #44 TB
2013 - #47 TB
2017 - #48 LS
2018 - #50 LS
2012 - #65 RZ
2016 - #67 TB
2010 - #70 RZ
2021 - #71 LS
2019 - #73 LS
2014 - #74 TB
2020 - #90 LS#Illini
What is the second-highest-ranked recruiting class for the Illini since 2010? You have to go way back to the class of 2022 to find the second-highest-ranked recruiting class. That is right, Bielema has produced two recruiting classes and both groups are the two highest-ranked recruiting classes for the Illinois football team since 2010.
Just think about that for a second. Bielema took over the Illinois program and instantly is the best recruiting head coach we have had in a decade and a half. That is insane.
Bielema has been recruiting well. He is now pairing that great recruiting with winning on the football field. This tends to be the recipe for success. The future of the Illinois football program is extremely bright.